Three Half Promises
by Paperspell
Summary: Do you still remember those promises we made? The same ones we held so close to our hearts...Only half of each came true...I'm still waiting for the other
1. Prologue, Signs of Light

**Prologue: Signs of Light**

 _Why is everyone staring?_

* * *

"Can you tell me what happened? Every detail, and from the very beginning, my dear."

It took quite some effort to arrange this meeting. Much of the experiments for today were placed under the careful watch of fellow scholar Even, and there are still many other researchers going about the estate. The whirring of machines and pacing around the halls are at full swing this time of day. Thankfully, the cacophony of activity dulls down this hallway. The study is the perfect place, and perhaps the only place, to hold a decent conversation.

One of the castle's royal guards pulls out a chair for the girl addressed. She takes the cue and sits down, albeit with some hesitation. As she drops down to the chair, she disappears entirely from view, obscured by the piles of research documents on the desk in front of her.

Ansem the Wise cranes his neck a little, before giving up entirely and shoving the mountain of papers to the side. When he can finally see the child directly, she doesn't meet his eyes right away. She is a small youth, with blue hair falling over her left eye, and patches of red dotting her gangly limbs; barely twelve-years-old, if her appearance is anything to go by.

Skittish and pulling the hem of her washed out, oversized shirt, she glances backward to the door, as if asking it for assistance. The director of the orphanage had stepped out a moment ago, through those same doors under request.

The guard to the left of her is rolling his eyes.

"Hey, hey," he sneers, "cat caught your tongue? Talk already. We haven't got all day."

The intrusive words come out just as the girl is opening her mouth. She grimaces and shuts it close again.

"Peace Braig," says Ansem, unlacing his fingers, "and let the child speak."

His royal guard Braig falls silent but doesn't stop twisting his lips. Ansem sighs through his nose and gives the second guard in the room a look.

His more stoic apprentice Aeleus returns his sentiment briefly, and to compensate, pats the girl's shoulder with particular lightness.

"Go on."

The child leans forward, finally facing the city's most esteemed researcher and its ruler.

"I don't really know what happened though," she whispers. Her voice is light, sweet, and earnest.

"That's quite alright." Ansem nods. "Just tell me what you can recall."

"I was sitting near the fountain with my friends. The one in the very front. And…it was lunch time I think," she says, with a slight tilt in her head, trying to remember. "One of the kids was asking to play tag."

Over her shoulder, Aeleus gives Ansem a curt nod, confirming the time when the incident had happened at high noon.

"Everyone was running, because I was 'it.' And some of my friends ran near your, uh, castle…"

She winces, apologetic. He simply waves his hand for her to continue, and by the corner Braig lets out a not so subtle yawn.

"When I caught up to them…something happened. I think. I-I don't know what…"

She pauses. The ticking clock nearby counts her silence.

Ansem clears his throat. "You said you were running? Catching up to your friends?"

"Yes."

"Must have been fun," he continues placidly. "Everyone was having a good time. There was a lot of laughter, I dare say."

She gives a tiny smile at that.

"And then?"

Her smile disappears. "It stopped."

"Why?"

"Because…" she says, and now she is truly frowning. "Because…someone yelled. We stopped playing because some…thing was there."

Ansem leans forward from his chair. Aeleus is looking at him again, and this time they don't need to nod to understand what had transpired. The noisy Braig is uncharacteristically hush, and his elfish face peaks with interest.

"A thing? Can you describe this?"

"It was like, a dark shadow came up and rose from the ground. It was completely black, with yellow eyes." The child bites her bottom lip. "…I know it's weird-"

"No, not at all," Ansem reassures. "A unique case, perhaps. But go on."

"I think I saw one going after my friends. So, I went to help, and-" she gulps and falls silent again.

The clock resumes its steady ticking. Braig pushes himself off from his corner and Aeleus tries to coax the girl to speak again.

But Ansem has heard more or less the whole of the story already. This is the part where Aeleus had reported to him a few days prior; apparently, at the sight of this girl, the shadows had switched their target from a group of children to fix their attention on her. She tripped as she ran and fell to the ground. Just as the shadows made to reach her, they were momentarily blinded by a flash of bright light. It stunned long enough for Aeleus and one other guard to strike these creatures down. Immediately after, the orphanage's caretakers had grouped all the children together again and left quickly for safety.

"How many where there?"

"I don't know." She shakes her head. "A lot. But I can't remember the number."

"Must've been scary," says Braig, finally making his way towards them. "Since they were coming right after one kid."

The girl flinches at this. "They were chasing my friends-"

"Chasing them," Braig interrupts, "or chasing _you_?"

She faces the ground once more, unable to retort.

Aeleus shoots a disapproving glare, to which Braig shrugs at. _What_ , the younger guard mouths. _I was there too, y'know_.

"Enough," Ansem says, lacing back his fingers in thought. "We need to speak to the orphanage's director now and see where that takes us."

The girl rises out of the chair, glad to be dismissed. Ansem leads her towards the door.

"Thank you, my dear. You have been very helpful. I'm sure that you are still shaken up by the events and everything that has followed…but we are here now. The director and I shall handle the proceedings and figuring out the, ah, best path for you."

He had hoped these words would do some good in soothing her, but on the contrary, she seems even more troubled.

"Is there something else…?"

Her eyes flickers to the two guards, still station near the table. Ansem bends over, to catch her words that were so obviously secret.

"I've been having these dreams. And I don't know, but." She breathes out. "I'm always falling. It's dark and I can't see anything. I never hit the bottom of where I'm going."

Ansem gives a sympathetic nod of understanding. Nightmares, of course. A natural aftermath of shock from a distressing situation. However, she ought not to be ashamed, regardless of how his rowdy apprentice Braig would react had he heard. Really, he must make time to speak about manners to that young man.

"That sort of event was terrible, to say the least. Give it time. I find most things heal over after some distance has been given."

"Yes sir," she mumbles, giving a slight bow.

He unlocks the door and steps aside to welcome the director, who had been standing on the opposite wall. He is a short, stubby man with white hair that is balding on the very top. He wore a faded tweed jacket, with some threads that were loose around the cuffs. At the very least, his shirt was ironed. The director calls to the girl, checking if she is alright.

"I'm fine," she insists, pinkening with all the attention. "Really."

"Well if you're sure…" The director twirls around to face Ansem the Wise, sparing an offhanded comment for her to wait for him by the bench, just over there.

He enters the office. The door snaps shut as if securing her fate.

* * *

The meeting ensues for a lot longer after that. At first, the girl sat resolutely in her seat as directed, but as the town clock chimes a quarter past three she starts getting curious. There is little to keep her occupied, and the mutterings from beyond the door buzzes their way to her ears. She gets up slowly.

 _Maybe I shouldn't,_ she thinks, just about halfway to the door.

The voices are much louder now that she is closer. She could almost make out the gruffness of one of guards' voice…Mr. Aeleus was it? From what she could hear, he is recounting his own notes on the incident, and it's by far more detailed than what she had given them. Mr. Braig's and Sir Ansem's voices are sheer opposites; the former is brash and to the point, the latter elegant and methodical. The old director also perks up on chances to give his input. Her name peppers into the conversation as a result, enough to clear away her earlier misgiving.

She's never had a reason to eavesdrop before. If anything, it is usually the upper years who develop such habits. For that, she can't exactly fault them; their bedrooms are the closest to the caretakers' lounge, and if what they said held any truth, it's that adults can be very, very noisy themselves.

This situation is different, by far - not just some silly gossip. She has every reason to listen in. After all, this is about her right? She should know what's going to happen. She has the right to know.

She presses her ear to the door.

"…and so, we can't be entirely sure _why_ the darkness has manifested, but given the situation, it would be best to null the adoption papers, as much as it pains me to say."

There is beat of stillness. Then she hears the director's voice, which is rather somber say, "I thought as much. Yes, yes of course. It's just that, the couple seemed eager to take her in, and we get so few prospective parents."

"It's necessary, not only for her safety," Sir Ansem continues, "but theirs as well."

She stiffens, trying to swallow down the feeling of disappointment. She presses even more firmly to the door, desperate to hear more.

"It's curious though," the director muses. "What exactly makes those shadows appear? And to attack those children like that!"

"It is the sheer principle of their nature. These shadows, from what my colleagues and I have gathered so far, moves instinctively to grab what they cannot have – a heart." Sir Ansem explains. "To that end, they relentlessly pursue the light, especially those that are pure and unfiltered, residing commonly in children. Of course, given how feral they are, they attack just about anyone who possess what they crave.

"The matters of the heart, more than just the physical…containing both light _and_ darkness. We also have to consider the fact that worlds have that of their own. I wonder if it is the less virtuous part of us that start to beckon these fiends forward…"

On the other side of the door, the child is still straining to hear. If she has to guess, Sir Ansem fell deep into thought, leaving the director unsure with how to proceed. The first to recover from this is Mr. Aeleus, and she nearly jumps after realizing how close he is to the door.

"You really shouldn't have interrogated her like that," Mr. Aeleus mutters.

"Oh, come _on_. You wanted to know too, right?" Braig snorts. "It was never about that dark stuff. That we can handle. It was about the light that came from her. The K-I-D."

"If you weren't such a K-I-D yourself, you might actually have a bit more maturity."

"Alright I'll lay off," Braig relents. "Still, I never would have guessed she could be the one."

There was some ruffling of paper before Mr. Aeleus could respond.

"Hm. From what I read, she's been in Radiant Garden's Orphanage since she was a baby. Says right here the origins of her parents are unknown."

"Yes, that's correct," the director interjects. "She is one of the few orphans in our community that had parents who came from a different world. The refugee wave from thirteen years ago brought in several. In any case, she's a well-mannered girl with no ill-remarks from our caretakers. She's obedient and keeps to herself. She's also exceptionally bright and receives top marks in her grades."

The child flushes under the director's comments. She isn't being too well-mannered at the moment. It was also something of a small triumph to know that not even the teachers were aware of whenever her mind takes a small vacation during lessons.

Ansem the Wise gives a long and thoughtful _hmm_. He asks maybe just about two or three questions more, all which the director answers with prompt readiness.

"Light is the energy from a concentrated will. Active through the consciousness of pure thoughts." Sir Ansem contemplates briefly. "That child's bravery, her need to act and rush towards those she cares for at the face of danger…she makes for a very promising candidate."

"Sir Ansem? A candidate for what?" implores the director. Though judging by the way his voice's rises in pitch, he seems to know exactly the candidacy that the ruler of Radiant Garden speaks of.

"The child has to make one of two choices," Sir Ansem says. "The first option would be for her to take a position as a junior assistant in my research facility, that way she would be guarded at all times, and she could study with the knowledge necessary to preserve herself. She won't start right away, but should she choose to stay here, I will provide her room and board. As a resident of this district she will also have a chance to attend a better school."

"Absolutely splendid!" The director claps his hands together.

"The second choice would be a more strenuous one. It requires excellent training of the body, and physical testing of the heart. A befitting road for warriors that arm themselves with light as their weapon. To speak plainly, it is a path that leads down to becoming a Keybearer."

As the words fall from his lips, it seems as if the whole room is seized by a powerful force. Nobody spoke, and she felt that they, like her are holding in their breaths.

"A Keybearer!" The director exclaims. "But there's hardly any of them left. Actually, is there any left at all?"

"Most definitely," Sir Ansem confirms. The tone of his voice sounds almost amused. "Although we commonly discuss them as fabled legends of the past, they are very much real. As a matter of fact, I know of one that is a Master. In one of his travels, he has come to this world before. We have since formed a method of communication."

Ansem the Wise must have produced some tell-tale device for said connection, because she hears a gasp of fascination from the director and a low whistle from Braig.

"With this child's gift, I believe we have found him just the student he was looking for."

There were more shuffling noises on the other end. She exhales. A Keybearer? Like those the elders of this city spoke of?

"I cannot impose my wishes on the child. I can only offer her an opportunity to stay here. However, when the time comes, and _he_ appears – well…I'm certain this could only go one way."

She is nearly glued to the door and would have continued to be if she didn't hear the footsteps getting louder towards her. With a start, she quickly unsticks herself and practically runs back to the bench a few feet away. She sat perch on the seat and willing her expression to be as neutral as possible. When the door to the study clicks open, she turns with mild surprise.

"Thank you, Sir Ansem," the director says, "for both your time and proposal."

Ansem the Wise closes his gold eyes in acknowledgment. When the director beckons her forward, she echoes her own thanks.

"Certainly, my child. I believe the director will have much to discuss with you tonight." He bends over, giving her a friendly wink. This time, he has a secret to give. "As for now, carry on your day as usual. I find that sea salt ice cream is the best way to cheer the spirits."

Pulling back, Sir Ansem ends their meeting with a perfunctory nod to the director. The two guards step out and are ordered to escort them out. As they made their way out the building and to the familiar fountain ahead, she can't help but trail a little closer to the director. She feels a pair of eyes on her, but when she looks back the doors to the castle had already closed. She walks briskly to match pace with the director, shaking away the feeling as they across the square.

At the edge of the plaza, the director brought her and himself an icy pop each from a newspaper stand. She had wanted sea salt ice cream instead, but it felt wrong to ask, so she didn't. All the while licking her popsicle, she wonders about the destiny set before her. The sudden mentioning of Keyblade wielders was a thing of legends. How could they be real? The moment it passed from Sir Ansem's mouth, it's like all things cease to be solid – as if a dream spell was cast on her. In her hazy state, she even fails to catch her name called from the director.

"Huh?"

"My dear, I said you are excused for the rest of the day. Lessons are nearly over, so there's no need to go." The director wrinkles his brow. "Now, are you sure you are quite alright?"

They're at the front of the orphanage; it is a long, brick building that shares its outer yard with the nearby school house. She had no idea they already reached home.

"Oh, um, yeah. I-I'm just…just-" She wants to say tired, but it was only the afternoon.

The boisterous sounds of younger children at play wonderfully masked her clumsy wording. At the same time, it gives the director an inkling of why she is so nervous. The other children will try to pry today's events from her, no doubt.

"Why don't you go upstairs and help the misses arrange the sheets? If you want to help with just your room that's fine but be sure to come down for dinner. After that, wash up and head over to the lounge – there is much to discuss."

And so, the rest of the day was spent just how the director instructed. She went about changing her bed sheets and the five other beds that shared the room. It was a tedious but quick chore, leaving her ample amount of time till dinner. She suspected that was the director's intention and was grateful for the moment of solitude. However, the peace was short lived, because although the children could not talk excessively at the dinner table, it didn't mean they couldn't look. Fifty pairs of eyes landed on her as she chewed and swallowed her potatoes and fish. It was some small comfort to go meet the director by the end of it, even though he repeated most of what she heard before.

"Which reminds me. Sir Ansem has told me personally that he will arrange for the Keyblade Master to come around sometime soon. We don't know when exactly, but I expect you to project…just a bit more. For the sake of impression."

"Yes sir," she mumbles.

His eyebrows rose.

"Yes sir," she repeats, clearing her throat.

He bids her goodnight. When she exits the room and rounds the corner, she notices to her dismay that the door for the upper year's bedroom is open just a crack. It's hard to catch with so little lamp light, but at the sound of her footsteps the door sways closed – just slowly enough not to creak or click as the knob turns back to place. They probably think she's a caretaker making the night rounds.

She hurries down the hall, with a mixture of thrill and apprehension of what awaits her come the following days.

* * *

The night shifts for guarding Ansem's castle are the worst. The drafts pick up considerably, leaving Braig chilled and irritable. Honestly, he had expected those monsters to show up more during the dark, but there isn't so much a speck of black now. Everything is too quiet. In between his squats, he looks at Aeleus, who is waiting to be replaced by the castle's third royal guard, Dilan.

"Y'know, I was thinking about what that old man said. That girl's parents were refugees." He springs up to a standing position. "Sometimes we get that – people who come 'cause their worlds are gone. But what _makes_ an entire world vanish?"

Aeleus, who hardly strays from his neutral mask, looks almost appreciative of his partner's rarer moments of thoughtful inquiry.

"You're finally starting to ask the right question, newbie. It's exactly what Ansem and the rest of us wants to find out."

"Huh." The younger man scratches his chin. "And what's all this about a Key? Those warriors really exist fighting like some sorta hero?"

"They must be. Ansem wouldn't have said otherwise. To think that small girl will someday grow into a mighty Guardian of Light…"

Braig cranes his neck upward to the sky, studying the thousands upon thousands of stars glitter over him. Near just one of them, lives this mythical Master. The question remains—

"Where the heck is he coming from?"

Such pondering could only be answered by Ansem, who at the very same moment, is holding the mysterious palm-size item he had showed earlier. Through its surface it reveals a window to a place not found in Radiant Garden.

Some stars away there is a relatively tiny world, suitable for only a few inhabitants. As it is, it currently holds two. The night sky has signaled one of them to retire back into a castle, specifically to what was dub the treasure room.

Many trinkets adorn the room, some etched with ancient lettering, some metal tools which uses are long forgotten. Curious still is a dim glowing light emitting from an orb, flashing in intervals. Every time it blinks, a shadow is cast upon the man who is holding it. There was a gentle buzzing accompanying the glare, words from an acquaintance. Finally, it flickers off, and the man sets it down to survey the landscape outside his window, brighten by the stars shining above.

A young boy is standing on the grassy plain, swinging a wooden sword with precise and deliberate movements — a single protégé who will inherit the power of the Keyblade.

The man turns back to the orb at hand, now glassy and unresponsive. Still, the message has been relayed from the ruler of the fame "city of light." An incident occurred, one dealing with the formless shadows. The situation brought forth many things – the foreboding of darkness, accompanied by a spot of hope.

"Another budding light, it seems." The man rests his chin on his hand, absentmindedly stroking his beard. "This child, I wonder…exactly how brilliant is their light?"


	2. CH 1, We'll be rooting for you!

**Chapter 1: We'll be rooting for you! |** _ **He said his name is Master Eraqus**_

* * *

The week goes by with a lot of chatter, mostly about her and what is to be expected now that Sir Ansem had called upon the Guardian of Light. He sent word for the Master as early as possible and received an almost immediate reply. This Master is due to arrive any day now, and the very thought leaves her unable to sleep at night. Her bedroom, normally filled with airy snoring and squeaks from worn mattresses, is silent after every supper. The girls on the beds next to her were holding their breath in anticipation. Come morning lessons, all her peers won't talk to her about anything aside from the legends of Keybearers.

"You're gonna be one right?" The boys ask in hush voices. She didn't know how to answer, but they carried on regardless. "It's so cool! _You._ You get to be one."

This is fairly tolerable, especially when the teachers catch wind of their whispers and throws chalk at whoever dares disturb the lesson. As it becomes clearer that it is really just the children near her, they try moving her around the classroom. It proves futile; even the shy students, who previously were not inclined to speak up, badger her when curiosity became too much. In the end her desk is pushed up front near the teacher's, and although the questions stopped, the stares didn't. Her face burns as she stays in the spotlight for the rest of the oncoming days.

Still, the absolute worst are the smaller children, who had taken up a bad habit of following her around now. They stop short only when she goes to the bathroom, then resume when she comes out. They gaze at her, starry eyed and expectant, willing to fetch her anything and obey her command. The adults don't know what to do, as they are too young to reason with.

Her golden peaceful hours are limited. On the rare chance everything is quiet, she finds herself thinking dreadfully about the day of arrival for the Keyblade Master.

On the very eve of his appearance, she lies awake, unable to shake this creeping fear.

Suppose he comes for her and sees she really isn't anyone special? What's to stop him from going back? After all this excitement about having a strong light, having _potential_ , they'd forget she's never held a weapon in her life. Will he test her? See if she can summon the Keyblade at will? Her stomach curls with coldness. She hasn't thought to practice, not even once…

She raises her hand, willing something to appear. She concentrates on pure thoughts. Light…light is made up of energy and…happiness? What had Sir Ansem said? _I forgot and now I can't do it_ , she thinks miserably.

She stretches her arm further, trying to grasp at something. Maybe if she just clears her mind, it wouldn't be so hard. She takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself when she hears a shuffle from the bed beside her.

"What'cha doing?" A pair of eyes watches her over ratty blankets.

She drops her hand in the darkness. It's no use. She only has until tomorrow before the Keyblade Master arrives. No matter how desperate, she shouldn't make a fool of herself before due time.

"It's nothing," she answers, trying to sound nonchalant.

"It didn't look like nothing," the other girl continues, "were you trying to do something just now?"

"Just stretching my fingers. They're cramped up."

She feels the child dip in disappointment. Oh well. Pulling the sheets up to her chin, she counts stars until her eyes grow heavy.

* * *

The night carries on with a horrible sensation of tumbling through the air. In her dreams she is falling again, but this time it's different; this time she lands on the bottom. She opens her eyes to find that same void of empty space surrounding her.

The ground she stands on is a wide round pillar of stain glass, mostly colored blue. It's unimpressive and just as barren as everything else; the patterns on the borders are simple and in the distance are seven circular diagrams. Only one is marked. As she walks over, she can make out a crude glass formation of a house. _The orphanage_ , she realizes.

She can see it remarkably well, perhaps because of the light shining down on it. _Light-?_

Looking up, she can spot a singular beam of light shining down on her. Is that the way out? She glances around from where she stood, but nothing greets her aside from her shadow, having stretched long to the end of the pillar because of the solitary brightness. She pouts feebly upwards. If only she has the ability to fly up there and escape…

Her back gives a sharp tingle. There is no sound in this realm to indicate anything other than herself, but all the same, she feels something. A heavy presence coming from behind her is creeping closer. She's not alone.

She whirls around. Her shadow is a lot darker now, and its arms are angled, as if bracing itself from the ground. She froze – her own arms were stationary, her hands in her pockets. Her shadow, just an inky blackness on the floor, is surging upwards, chest first. It rises in waves, ebbing and flowing until finally, the whole of its torso became unstuck from the ground.

"Ah," she squeaks. She's trembling now. Her legs are shaking so badly that it is impossible for her to take a step backwards. Impossible to run.

The shadow, finally free from the ground, has lost all features of her silhouette. It was a murky, monstrous giant towering over her. Just one of its fingers is equal to her size, she finds out when within the next fraction of a moment its fist is right next to her. If she stood just a foot to her left she would have been flattened.

She drops hard on her behind. " _A-ah!_ "

There is a pool of darkness emitting near her. From its depth she can see familiar shiny yellow eyes peering at her. A shot of black aura hurls past, cutting her cheek in the process. She blinks back the pain, which snaps at her body to move. She jolts upward, prepared to run the opposite direction, but comes crashing back down that same moment. Her feet are stuck to the floor – the black pool reaches her, the ooze grabbing her shoes and weighting her down.

"Lemme go!" she cries, jerking her hands forward. It's no use, she can feel herself sinking, the darkness clawing at her. Nobody is there to save her. It's getting colder and harder to breathe–

She gasps, her eyes snap open.

It is dawn. The bedroom starts to brighten as the sky pinks in the horizon, the sunlight filtering past the curtains. Each bunk aside from her own holds a snoring girl, with blankets smooth over the slow rise and fall of their bodies. Her own is a twisted heap at the foot of her bed.

"Just a dream," she sighs. "It was just a dream."

She reaches for her blankets with a clammy hand. It was time to get a grip.

* * *

The day resumes as usual on a regular schedule. Since nobody knows exactly when the Keyblade Master is coming, the caretakers tried their best to smooth over the restlessness with the façade of a normal day. However, by lunch, a brilliant flash of light beams briefly over the edge of town. One of the boys seated closest to the window hollers at the sight. Within seconds all the other children abandon their sandwiches and soup with a clatter, piling on top of each other to see.

Even she stands on the tip of her toes by the end.

"Alright, alright," one of the caretakers says, "settle down." It falls to deaf ears.

"Did'ja see that? Real pillars of light!"

"They must've been twenty feet high! That's so cool!"

"It's definitely him!"

After much crowing from the adults, the children finally return to their seats, hastily munching on their lunch. Like her, they have probably worked out that if they finish fast, they'll be let out for afternoon break earlier. Maybe, even in time to see this Keyblade Master entering the gates.

As it is, they were right. He comes just as the bell for afternoon break chimed. By then, all the children are out by the yard.

He is tall, with broad shoulders – the very image of a powerful warrior. His long, jet black hair is fashioned into a high ponytail. He adorns a white robe, like some of the mages from the town's accessory shop wore. Underneath that is an armor breastplate and gear that covers him from head to toe. When the older boys saw him, they pushed each other with excitement. This man has seen battle with far bigger manifestation of darkness than they could image.

She focuses in on a scar trailing his left side. It etches from his eye to his ear.

Despite his odd choice of clothing, his presence has a regal and serious air. He must have been handsome, because when he spoke to the director, the assistant and all the other misses swoon a little. His face was long with high cheekbones, and his eyes were dark and slanted. His gestures are careful, his voice gave off a smooth and tactful tone.

All the keepers gather to form a cluster, pitching in their own notes and perhaps small details about the chosen child. Every once and a while they will turn back to look at her, and she will drop her gaze to study the dirt. The other children cease their play to openly gape. After much discussion, the band of adults break apart. The Master makes his way to her, followed by the director and his assistant.

"Is this the girl?" he asks. His face holds polite interest, but he didn't hold her gaze for more than necessary.

"Yes," the director replies. "We spoke with Sir Ansem about it. He said she had a particularly strong light, and even offered a position as a junior assistant in his research facility. Said she'd be attending a better school too."

The man rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Ah, well Ansem and I do have different ways in going about this. He likes results and insights through careful research. I have a more direct approach that requires training. Both options are available, but ultimately the choice lies with the child."

Again, eyes bear down at her. This time, she focuses on only one. The Master has a very patient expression. He looks as if he would gladly give her all the time she needed to decide, even if she takes forever.

She gives him a slow nod, one that he returns.

The boys and girls by the sideline stop fumbling immediately.

"She's gonna do it!"

This declaration is followed by whoops and cheers. Her face burns redder still. The teachers have not stopped them this time, so maybe that means they are just as satisfied with this. Amongst the celebration, she swears she hears a chuckle come out of the Master.

"My, my…this is quite the reaction. Still, I think…" he murmurs, glancing at all the other faces regarding him with awe, "it's best if I spoke with her alone."

* * *

The director gives them permission to use an empty classroom. To add more confidentiality, he closes some of the blinds to keep prying eyes out. With a nod at the master, he takes his leave.

She tries not to fidget with the hem of her shirt.

"I've heard a great deal about you," he smiles. "My name is Eraqus, and I am one of the few Keyblade Masters left in all of the worlds. What is your name, child?"

She tells him.

"Your teachers and caretakers have said a lot of good things about you. They said you were the top of your grade, and you have no trouble keeping up with lessons. In a way, I suppose Keyblade training can be viewed as such. It will require absolute focus and discipline, most of which comes from the self."

"What kind of training?" she asks, eyeing his armor.

"Combative, mostly." Eraqus says. "But we will have to work our way from basic exercises and simple sparring first. It is, however, easier to start if the wielder is naturally athletic."

"I'm okay at sports, I think." She hopes that is the right answer to give - of course there would be training, she assumes as much but looking at Eraqus' scar, she feels stupid just saying that. Although the skin fissure is old, it also looks as though it runs very, very deep.

He nods at her, even considers her point. It makes her feel just a little bit relieved. In truth, the most time the kids are let out during afternoon break narrows down to an hour and a half. Weekends are reserved for trips around town, and usually by the time they get back, they can only play a little before dinner. It is all pretty underwhelming, but she isn't going to say anything to have him change his mind about her.

His eyes briefly sweep over her, settling at the bandages littering her knees. She snaps ridged at this, but for some reason, he doesn't seem to mind. He looks at her own tiny scrapes with approval.

"That won't be all. There will be practices with magic, something I think you would enjoy. It requires not only a logistic mind, but an inquisitive spirit to release."

"Magic?" she whispers. "Like…real magic?"

"Certainly," he says, "but all in good time. Practical magic is harness commonly with assistance from the Keyblade. It will most likely be the very last of the things we learn."

It's the first time she's heard of casting magic without any charms, bands or earrings sold in shops. To cast magic without specially crafted ores is impossible…at least, for them.

"And of course, as Keyblade wielders we are tasked with the knowledge of all worlds and their principles. It is our responsibility to not only understand but cooperate with the borders…and more importantly the _hearts_ of the worlds."

She's heard about the importance of hearts from Sir Ansem. Somehow, the way Eraqus goes about it is less scientific and more spiritual.

"Worlds have hearts…?"

"Yes, in fact, this very world has a particularly strong heart. I believe it has to do with the number of inhabitants, and the light they carry with them." Eraqus crouches down to the ground. "Right now, I feel the steady drumming of the earth."

She stands awkwardly. Eraqus extended his hand towards her, and she takes it. Slowly and deliberately, he lowers them both until they touch the ground.

They kneel waiting together. After a moment, Eraqus smiles.

"Er…" She does not know what to say.

"Do you feel it? This world is very much alive because of the light it receives of the people and their children," Eraqus states before turning to her fully, "and from you as well."

"I-I don't…" she pauses. Maybe it's not a good idea for her to reveal that she cannot sense what he does. If this is a test, she's already failing.

"No? Well in due time then…" he rises up, mumbling. "Hmm, maybe they're too young for the sort of sensibility…"

"W-wait sir," she stammers. "I want to try again."

Before he can say anything, she drops to the ground and slaps her hand down. She wills anything to come. A sign at the very least. But as she knits her brow in concentration, nothing happens, and she is starting to feel very foolish again.

"You won't be able to feel that way," he says, shaking his head. "Think – what makes a world so special? Is it the land, the establishments, or its people?"

"The people," she concludes after some time.

"That's right. The world's essence is derived from them." He kneels down. "Try closing your eyes again. This time think about those that really matter to you. They are your center amidst this expansive world."

Taking a breath, she does as he instructs. The people who matter to her aren't hard to think about. She has never known her parents, and her whole life so far is spent within the boundaries of Radiant Garden's orphanage. As strict and limited it is, she isn't unhappy here. If not for her friends, and the tender care of the madams and director, she is sure that things can be much worse. She is certain that they cared for her, and she, them.

Her hand catches weak vibrations from the ground. She opens her eyes.

"I can feel it!" she exclaims. It's as if her nerves were standing on its end. The weight of the world falls to her shoulders now that this truth has been grasped. A living, perhaps sentient planet.

"Well done. Be sure to believe in those connections, and the worlds with map themselves out before you." Eraqus gives her a fond look of approval, before turning to face the window. Laughter rings through the other side, and Eraqus goes still to listen. She follows his lead and is pleasantly surprised by how easily can pick the tones apart and trace each back to every individual.

"Do you see? It is the same with people. Depending on the strength of your relationships, you will always be able to find those you truly care about."

She stands up, dusting off her hands. "Even if they're worlds apart?"

"Within reason. Again, these bonds of your heart must be strong enough to call out to the person no matter where they are, should they still be in the Realm of Light."

"Will I be able to do that?"

"I believe so," he says, giving her a faint smile, "if you were to come with me that is."

A small hopefulness was swelling in her chest. He is inviting her to become a Keyblade wielder after all. In her disbelief, she can't help voicing her doubts.

"But…" she frowns, "you aren't going to ask me to summon it? The…Keyblade, I mean."

"Goodness, no." Eraqus chuckles. "One cannot summon the Keyblade unless the power has been past, and even then, it will still take some time – in some rare cases, even years - for a corporal Keyblade of one's own to emerge. Speaking of which…"

He holds out his right hand. For a moment, nothing happens. Then, as if the air is being pulled, a spark of light and some transparent chains swirl around his hand, extending. With a final flash a Keyblade emerges, metallic with a rectangular hilt, the teeth near its top forming a ridged 'E' figure. The wind dies down, even though the windows and doors are closed.

"W-wow…"

He beckons her to come forward, angling the hilt of the blade to her hand. His hand dwarfs hers in comparison. When Eraqus speaks, his voice sound even more regal.

 _Here you wield a power that's past  
Forged from the breath of each hero's last  
To swear by the heavens and protect each Light  
To go through the trials as a testament of might  
For what you shall know and what you shall see  
May your heart be your ever-guiding key_

The blade still feels cool in her hand. Just as she is about to ask what will happen, Eraqus lets go of the hilt. When the tips of his fingers brush off, she sees - even feels - the faint glow of the Keyblade, sending out a wave of steady pulses, just like Radiant Garden has. Suddenly, the warmth reaches into her chest, straight to her heart.

It is such a mundane act, but it's as if the entirety of Radiant Garden has shifted. The glow shimmers away, leaving her once more with just the Keyblade. Eraqus looks more pleased than ever.

"Well now," he says, taking back the Key, "it has been decided."

The master's eyes are twinkling.

"Rise, daughter of Light, bringer of storms. Let your presence pave way for the future. Let the vectors of the sky claim you. Here marks a new Keyblade's chosen one."

* * *

Eraqus leaves her some time to go pack her things while settling some paperwork with the director. She is expected to go that very day, and this promptness brings forth two attendants to help her pack. They fuss over a lot, mostly about her and largely to each other. Once they fold and store everything she needs into a small knapsack, she is more or less set. They spend some time after that picking on other things, like dusting her clothes and combing her hair.

"Make sure you follow that Master's order well," one of them says as they roll the lint from her shirt. "Don't go off on your own and pay attention to where ever you are!"

"And," interrupts the other one, "show off those good marks you've got from before. You got to put your best foot forward, understand?"

"Yes madam," she says, nibbling at the biscuit they gave her earlier. They also include a whole tin's worth with her belongings, insisting it is for the road.

They rally off more dos and don'ts in case she forgets, until they've exhausted all the possibilities they could think of. The combing of her hair is nice, and it gives her something to focus on until all the warnings have stopped.

"Such pretty hair," the caretaker sighs, setting the comb aside after the final brush. "I'm going to miss it."

They help her get the knapsack on. It is very light; she has given away all her toys to the younger grades and is left with no other keepsake to bring.

She looks around the room. Some of her drawings were still hanging on the wall, next to a few others. They all recorded times of lively events – winter festivals, evening races, summer field trips out of the city. The chest near her bed was empty, all its treasures given. Her bed itself is stripped, so that some lucky girl from a year below will move from the sharing a bunk to having a separate one. She hopes that whoever gets it doesn't mind the empty candy wrappers she stuffed under the mattress from last year. Of course, beddings are changed fairly frequently, in which case they might not be there anymore–

She hears her name being called. The attendants fix her up one last time.

"Careful not to catch a cold."

"Yes'm." She turns the doorknob quickly, steeling herself.

She takes extra care when strolling down the hallways. It seems like ages ago she thought she would never leave, and now that the time has come, she isn't sure how to feel. How can she be homesick when she hasn't even left yet? She has promised to put her best foot forward already. At long last, she reaches the front door and pushes it open.

The courtyard is scattered with all the children, half the staff, and the director. Eraqus is in deep conversation with him. By the end of it, the director hands over a copy of what she can make out as her medical and history records. The madams are also milling about, passing over a large, paper bag.

"–well, thank you," she can hear Eraqus saying to the ladies as she comes closer. "And child, I take that you are all set to go now?"

"Yes sir," she says, hoisting her bag higher.

The director clears his throat, casting an offhanded look to the other children, who are quivering by the edge of the lawn.

"Now children, it's come to my attention that all of you want to say your goodbyes, but remember to be mindful of your surroundings, and–"

They break free from the grassy area, all but bounding forward with reckless abandon.

"–don't run." The director sighs.

A redhead, who happens to be a roommate, clamps her hand.

"I can't believe you're actually going!" She squeals. "Good luck out there!"

"Thanks–"

Immediately her other free hand is caught within that of a teary eyed eight-year-old, who is blubbering between cries that now there will be no one else to follow. A group of boys chime their honest jealously but come to terms that if she is to represent them, she ought to do it well. Her name is being called from every direction, and she is surprised that even the upper years, some who she's never associated with, gathered around to say their farewells. Eventually, the misses rope the young ones away, and the rest parts to allow her through to Eraqus.

"Well, um…" She forces herself to stop fiddling with the drawstrings of the knapsack. "Goodbye."

Over the heads of everyone else, she sees the director give her a gruff, exasperated look of fondness.

Eraqus steps past the gate and outside of the grounds. She makes to follow–

"Hey, we're gonna be rooting for you!"

"Come back sometime, okay?"

"Don't forget us!"

She turns around, her vision is blurry.

"I won't!" she shouts. Her voice cracks, just a little. "I'll come back one day. I promise!"

She can't see the director's face, as he is bowing, but maybe, just maybe, he is giving a true, sincere smile. She waves her hands above her frantically, only turning back to face Eraqus when the gates and the orphanage had disappeared behind the gentle slopes of the country side. They stop by a clearing, where Eraqus looks around with approval.

"This should do."

He places the folder of documents on top of the large paper bag. Then, summoning his Keyblade, he points at both with his eyes closed. The air swirls around, pulling as they did before, but this time it concentrates on the specific objects in the center. They are glowing too, and unless her eyes are playing tricks on her, levitating off the ground. The wind is picking up. With an abrupt flash, it is gone. The breeze dies at that very moment, leaving the tree branches to sway just a bit before stilling again. A single chirp of a bird above makes her realize her slack jaw, and she closes it promptly.

"We should get going. To start, strap this around your dominant arm."

He hands her a small plate of armor, with belt straps to help secure it in place. She struggles to do it single handedly, managing just barely as Eraqus turns to her with his full armor on.

"How–?"

"The center of your armor, right there. Push that spot and see what happens."

She lifts her arm. Eraqus gives an encouraging nod. She presses on the spot he said to.

With a flash that engulfs her, she feels a drop of weight on her shoulders. Something is pulling over around her body, reaching up her neck until her vision darkens. When she is sure everything has ended, she raises her hands to find them both covered in armor. After a quick once over, she finds her entire self has been protected with metal. A helmet is secured snugly around her head, its glassy visor giving everything a dark tint.

"It takes some getting used to, but the heaviness of the armor won't bother you once training begins. Coincidentally, the one I just gave you belongs to a student of mine." He glances at her from head to toe. "It may not be exact, but I'll have yours molded to fit better when the time comes."

The plate of armor around her torso is off by just a couple of inches so it did feel slightly tight. However, what intrigues her more at the moment is having to wear this to begin with.

"We won't be facing any sort of real danger, but the Lanes in Between is a harsh place in its own right." He tilts his head upwards to the sky.

The armor creaks a bit as she adjusts herself to view skyward as well.

"This armor," he says, while holding his blade, "and this Key are essential in not only leaving this world but protecting yourself from the possible traces of darkness that lingers about. Should you travel with me in the future, you must always keep your armor in your person. Now then…"

He backs away a few paces from the clearing, gesturing for her to do the same. Once they are on a nice, grassy plain, Eraqus tosses his Key up to the air a few times before giving a final gracious throw. The Keyblade shimmers in the air, until it isn't quite a key anymore. It becomes metallic vessel of sorts, a curved platform with a long-raised base for considerable seating. Eraqus seats himself near the front, leaving enough room for her in the back. He takes hold on what looks like a command panel to steer.

"Keep a steady grip," Eraqus says over his shoulder. "Our trip should be relatively short, but we wouldn't want to lose each other regardless. Ready?"

The clack of her helmet to her armor as she nods gives Eraqus the signal to proceed.

The vessel hums to life, vibrating as it lifts off the ground. With little warning, it launches forth and leaves a trail of light at its wake. She jerks head first as a result and decides maybe holding on to Eraqus isn't a bad idea; she wraps her arms loosely around his waist. Once she is fully secure, the vessel continues onward at an accelerating speed, charging at the blue sky until gradually its hue was turning darker and darker–

It's as if they break through a barrier. Or, at least, it feels like that briefly; the vessel slows some from an invisible hold, before gaining speed again a bursting through to a stellar view of purple, blue and black all bleeding into one another. The stars glitter so wonderfully too, each promising a world of its own. Radiant Garden, being the closest, is a wide world surrounded by star dust. As they pull away and the world got smaller, the galactic dust is getting brighter.

Her breath is fogging the inside of her helmet. A tingling sensation is threatening to spill out – to be here, to go anywhere, anywhere at all…

"Like millions of lanterns, are they not?" Eraqus muses. The vessel drifts in a leisure pace, allowing her to marvel everything fully. "Let's see if I can find home."

The vessel comes to a halt. Eraqus goes still with concentration, focused on reaching the heart of his world. Although the Master makes no sound, she is certain he is calling it, asking for the connection to come through.

The response is instant; the vessel emits a low hum again, and there is a beam of light – a pathway for them to take becomes visible. Eraqus wastes no time setting on this course. The vessel speeds over the trail, building up its old momentum in an alarming rate until it's traveling so fast that it is hard to see anything besides light, which is gradually engulfing them until it forms a tunnel around the vessel.

"The Lanes in Between," she whispers, and it falls into place with a satisfying click. She reaches a hand out and touches the light, causing a ripple that extends to a strip of window to see the stars again. The stars all blended together because of their velocity – quite literally traveling at the speed of light.

Before long, the tunnel starts getting fainter, and an opening is within sight. Eraqus slows their momentum as space becomes clear again. In the distance, a world with iridescent dust of its own is waiting for them. Although they were close enough for her to decipher the lush terrain and peaking mountains with gigantic golden bands encircling them (how odd), the world itself is unexpectedly small. Its size is maybe a fifth of Radiant Garden, which despite its lack of abundant greenery, seems to overshadow this world with the grandeur of size.

Eraqus urges the vessel to enter the world gradually. They break into its outer sphere with little resistance, past the clouds that blanket the mountains' peaks. As they dip lower and lower, she feels the swirling of the air currents brush roughly against her armor. They land squarely on what she presumes is a central court.

Eraqus pushes an area in his armor, allowing it to snap by to a more compact form. Once she has done the same, he removes it from her and tucks it away. The vessel vanishes, replaced by Eraqus' Keyblade that flares straight back to his hand.

She looks down amazed to be standing on new grounds that is far, far away from home. She taps her feet tentatively on the brick flooring. Somewhere nearby, is a distinct chirping of birds, but their song carries a tone she's never heard before. The castle stretches far and wide behind her, and the land in front yield a promise of adventure. The air carries a certain sweetness.

"Welcome," says Eraqus, "to the Land of Departure."

* * *

A boy with brown hair that sticks up in the front came jogging forward.

He has on athletic wear - loose fit shirt and shorts, with paddings on his shoulders and knees. He looks a bit cut up, particularly around his legs, and his skin was moist with perspiration. His blue eyes are a shade darker, and lashes that were much longer than hers. In fact, he has a very pleasant face, if not for the wooden expression. She figures they must be about the same age, because when he comes closer she could see he was roughly her height, just a bit shorter. He seems to notice this too and does not know what to make of it. They stand awkwardly before each other. The boy looks at his master for direction when it becomes clear neither one of them is going to speak first.

"This is the new student I was talking about," Eraqus says, before stating her name and giving her a small pat on the shoulder. "Terra, if you would be so kind as to show them the room I prepared…"

"Yes sir," he nods.

"I have some matters to attend to, so I will see you both at dinner in the dining hall." He turns to her again. "Terra, of course, will show you the way. Try to settle in for now."

Eraqus sweeps past them, heading for the large towering doors.

The boy named Terra is studying her unabashed.

"Where are you from?" he asks, not unkindly, but she has a feeling he did so to fill in the silence.

"Radiant Garden."

He blinks at the sound of her voice. It was a little higher than his.

"Oh," he says, no longer shooting her a quizzical look. As if settling a very important matter, he states, "you're a girl."

She feels her face grow hot. She is aware of her appearance – how people usually has a hard time telling. However, it is only truly at this instance she is self-conscious of her short cropped hair, the loose clothing several sizes too big that drape over her, and her gangly limbs. Her name, rather unusual, does seem to go both ways.

"Terra is a girl's name." She says, punctuating the word girl. "I don't know any boys with it."

Terra frowns at her retort. He opens his mouth as if to shoot back a remark but closes it just as quickly. He turns away, without so much as a gesture for her to follow him. They go the opposite way of the castle for a while, as a quick way for her to drink in the wilderness before going inside.

They half climb the sloping hills, which is hard because the ground is steep. Terra bounds forward with practiced ease, occasionally waiting for her by an unlit lantern.

"Lights come on after dark," he explains. "We can come out for a few hours before bed, but never past that post. The animals are harmless, but we can't disturb them."

He points at a single lantern the furthest out, by the golden hoops she spotted earlier. There beyond the clearing was the woods, and judging by its faint noises it was stocked. She can see above the trees in the distance, mountains peaks with giant gold bands resting on top. Chains sprout from the rings, connecting to other mountains, and sway in the wind. The sight is so strange she doesn't know what to make of it. Perhaps it is magic, much more powerful than the parlor tricks she's seen on the streets that made it possible.

"Chains of Light," Terra continues, "They're the borders that keep darkness out."

She wanted to ask a bit more, but Terra doesn't speak unless absolutely necessary, and so he would explain in a short, clip matter-of-fact way. When they finally step in the castle, he wastes no time on a leisure tour, which is a shame, because everything seems to hold such splendor. The entrance is bigger than she imagines, the stairs splitting to two wings. They go left, and Terra throws over his shoulder that the master's study is on the right.

He points at notable rooms as they pass. "That's the dining hall, kitchen is the door to the left…treasure room is over here, but it's mostly old stuff from before Master Eraqus…right there, that's the library…"

When they finally reach the second floor, they are greeted by a long corridor. She expects them to walk further down, but Terra reaches for a door directly to their left, opening it to reveal a circular room. He side steps to let her in, spared just a momentary glance before heading back out to the hall.

"Bathroom's in the middle of the hall," he says, thumbing behind him. "I'll come back to get you for dinner. So just stay in the room for now." He punctuates the last sentence with an unspoken _if you know what's good for you._

He turns away, probably rushing off to matters far more important than her.

Her new room is bare, save for a canopy bed, a desk and a chair. There is a cabinet to the left, the door left ajar for her things. She trails her hand over the wooden surface of the table, noting how polished it is. When she sits down on her bed, it immediately envelops her. The sheets smell fresh, and just by turning her head to face the window she can see most of the land's layout.

Everything here is hers. An elated sensation swoops down her stomach. She jumps off from her bed, delighted on how light and springy it is.

Unpacking is an easy task; in terms of clothing, she has two washed-out shirts, some under garments and an old pair of pants and shorts. Her socks are rolled up in a bundle at the bottom. None of the outerwear fits her properly, but she tucks them away all the same. She continues to grope around the rest of the bag, pulling out her old half-finished notebook, crayons and pencils worn down to their stubs, a pack of cheap hair ties and of course, the tin full of biscuits. The madams must have figured that anything else will be too excessive – she is after all, living with a full fledge guardian now. After arranging things into their proper place, she leans over by the window to survey the training ground.

She can see Terra just below, swinging a wooden sword. A practice dummy is set a few paces away from him. Judging by its appearance, it is clearly at its end. Straw splinters at the sides and grain spills from its body.

Terra makes no waste of movement parrying an invisible enemy, rolling away at dangers only he can see and swinging with great force. Still, there is something about his attacks.

"He's slow," she mumbles, oddly pleased. With motion like that she could easily tell what he is about to do before it happened. However, what he lacks in speed he makes up with power; with a sharp jab, he empties the dummy's contents fully.

Wiping off his sweat, he leaves the wooden sword by the grass and removes his shoulders and knee pads. He stares at a stone with a copper plate on top.

A sundial, she notes. It is 7:30pm already, although that much should have been obvious. The sky is turning dark and soon Terra will be fetching her for dinner. How is that possible? She swears she left with Eraqus a little after noon, when the clock in Radiant Garden confirmed it to be 4pm. And when they travelled here it took little to no time at all – it is almost as if light bended for them.

"This world's running on a different time," she gasps. She stares back and forth at the sundial and the position of the sun in the darkening sky.

So. She really is on the outer parts of space. The other kids have all carried on about other worlds, but she is the only one to actually go. What would they think if they can see her doing just about the same thing she would be in the orphanage? Waiting just the same, only with the sun dipping lower. She leans her head against the window.

What are they doing now? Are they still chattering away, going about their lessons? Some of the younger kids still pray before bedtime - often about the next festival, winning games or getting more weekend trips. Tonight, will they be praying for her?

 _Hey, we're gonna be rooting for you!_

She cracks open her window just a bit. The breeze feels nice.

Terra has long since disappeared from the courtyard. She figures she only has a couple of minutes, so she pretends to put away her already stored clothing, placing attentive care in smoothing out the creases. When he comes back for her, he simply knocks on her door and leads the way without further preamble.

The halls stretch long, and the corridors are large. There are plenty of empty rooms, and she sees what must have been Terra's in the very end, opposite side and direction from hers. When they pass it, she catches a peek from the inside, but not much. Blocks of wood by the table with small blades next to it, and articles of clothing by the floor. He shuts his door hastily, gives her a pointed look for being nosy.

It's funny, he's quick with just about everything aside from his sword.

The dining hall has a table that is long enough to fill twenty, so it is a bit odd for just the two of them to be sitting there alone. Terra sits to the right, next to the head of the table, so she sits to the left. The plates shine before them, and she wonders if they are supposed to get up and do something. In Radiant Garden's orphanage, all the older children are given responsibility to prep certain foods while the younger ones set up table.

As if answering her question, the kitchen doors burst open, and a cart with food wheels towards them. The air around it shimmers, so magic must have been cast to move it.

Terra places the food in the center, removing the metal lid from all six plates. It smells marvelous. There is fish with its meat still sizzling, chicken with gravy and potatoes to the side, sautéed vegetables with peppers steaming hot. To the side are various sauces that smell tangy and sweet. It is just the type of food the orphanage would serve on holidays, the only time when there is plenty to eat. A lump forms in her throat, making it hard to swallow.

Terra may have uncovered the food, but he makes no move to actually pile his plate. It isn't until Master Eraqus arrives did he reach for a fork.

"Normally it's not much of a feast," Eraqus admits, "but your arrival calls for one. The orphanage insisted that I have some of the food they took painstaking care to make. They wanted to make sure your stomach was full for tonight."

She wipes her eyes, which are suddenly wet.

"It's as much of a treat for us as well," Eraqus laughs. "I think Terra appreciates the change from my simpler dishes."

Terra shakes his head to deny, but his plate says otherwise. She supposes the training from afternoon must have left him famished.

"Well now that you are settled in, I hope this place is to your liking."

"Yes sir. Thank you."

"I expect Terra has given you a good look at the place," Eraqus continues, this time eyeing the boy.

Terra pauses briefly, and an uncomfortable grimace passes over him.

"He did," she answers quickly. She is grateful for the food, and with all that has happened, wanted the mood to stay light and easy.

"That's good to hear," Eraqus smiles benignly. "Terra has a habit of training well past the hours he's supposed to. I had thought he would run off to do just that after fulfilling his task."

Terra blushes all the way to the roots of his hair.

When they finish dinner, Terra loads the dirty silverware on to the cart. With a wave from Eraqus, the cart tumbles back to the kitchen from where it came. She stares at the magic shimmering about until it disappears.

"Have you encountered a lot of magic in Radiant Garden?"

"No," she shakes her head, "There's only one magical family near town, and theirs is really different."

Eraqus laughs. "Small things like this do help, but the magic I've mention to teach you will be mostly combative. Things like–"

He pauses, holding out his palm for her to see. At first, she thinks there is a trick in the light – small white particles were floating near him. They swirl faster around his hand, causing a chill as they sweep past her. Snow.

Eraqus has created a small flurry, a miniature winter at the palm of his hand.

"–Blizzard…"

She blinks, and within the next moment red flames flickers across the same hand, melting the snow quickly. "…Fire…"

The blaze starts shrinking in size, the air being pulled away from the heat.

"…Aero, and so on," Eraqus concludes, waving away the magic. "Essentially, basic elemental spells. As I've said before, they will be the hardest thing you learn, and that's not including the more advanced versions. What you must focus more presently on is the matters of the heart. Or, more specifically, your heart."

She places a hand over her chest. "You mean…I have to know myself. Who I am and the things that matter to me."

"Very good," Eraqus says.

She catches Terra looking at her, before dropping his gaze off to the side, brows furrowed.

"I may have passed on the power, but to summon your Keyblade is akin to knowing yourself, and your place among the vastness of worlds." Eraqus gives a hefty sigh. "That said, there is also only one world you should think about for the time being, and it's this one. My, how late it's gotten."

Through the dining halls' windows, she can see the sky is fully dark now. Eraqus dismisses both of them, bidding them goodnight. While she is free to roam about outside (stopping short only by the neck of the woods) he recommends that she retires for the rest of the night as a start to getting use to the time difference.

"Our routine starts at the first chime in the morning, so I suggest an early rest for an early rise. Of course, this applies not only to you, but Terra as well."

"Yes sir," the boy in question mumbles.

At last Eraqus follows the path the cart of dirty dishes as the two of them retreat back to the entrance way, climbing up the stairs to the left wing. Terra is keeping his distance with her; on the walk up, he positions himself as close to the railing as possible, and by the time they reach the familiar corridors upstairs he has drifted as far as the wall opposite from her allows. She supposes she ought to apologize for her earlier rudeness, but she doesn't know how to. By the time she reaches her door Terra is already striding briskly towards his. She swings her door open to her very neat, yet very empty room.

The stars are twinkling outside. Her windows are wide enough to shower her room with their brightness, and so she is perfectly content, laying on her bed with the light off. She traces her finger lazily in the air, following the heavenly bodies in a nonsensical pattern. Somewhere out there is Radiant Garden. Somewhere out there, is her old home.

She unlocks the hinges, pushing her window open.

* * *

Terra has forgotten to show the new girl where her toiletries can be found, and how the bath works, much to his chagrin. With a regrettable turn he walks quickly back from down her end of the hall. Her door is open, so perhaps all he needs to do is mention whatever he has to without actually going in. However, as he nears her room, he could hear her murmuring. He halts right by the edge of the wall.

"…and even if…they're far away, nothing is ever truly out of reach. So long as our hearts are connected…right?"

He gives a quick peek inside.

She is facing her window, with the panes opened. Her head cranes up, almost beseechingly to the night's lanterns. The moonshine made her blue hair glow, like ethereal starlight.

"Just don't forget me."

Terra withdraws away from the door, leaning by the wall. This girl had said she's from this place called Radiant Garden. From what Master Eraqus has mentioned before taking off to fetch her, it is a famed city, with abundant warmth. There is plenty of liveliness, plenty of people with family and friends and loved ones. Of course she would miss it – she has people to miss.

He walks back to his room, his original action of courtesy forgotten. All the while mulling over the possibility of being so far away from all that you knew, but still hoping, still _believing_ that there's a way back, before truly knowing what that is.

How unbelievably optimistic.


	3. CH 2, My name is Aqua

**Chapter 2:** ** **My name is Aqua |**** _ **Names hold power**_

* * *

As Eraqus has promised, the first chime comes bright and early in time with the rising of the sun. She wakes up as a disorientated heap of blankets. While her new bed is the most comfortable she has ever experienced, the time difference has indeed taken its effect. She was so giddy and wound up last night that she slept very little, if at all.

She steps out of the bathroom just as Terra is walking past the hall. He winces at the timing but pays no further heed to her as she follows him downstairs to the dining hall for breakfast. It seems that Eraqus has already set up some options for them, but she can't say she is familiar with eating any of it this early in the morning; a pot of cloudy soup, a large bowl of white rice, two grilled salmon and what appears to be a plate of rolled omelette. Terra picks up two small bowls and starts ladling soup in one and scooping rice in the other. With no clue in what else to do, she follows suit, only to feel his eyes shoot her a twinge of annoyance.

Throughout breakfast, he does not seem too eager to befriend her and ate opposite of her in silence. As she spoons her hot salty soup, wondering what to say, he polishes off his food and clears his side of the table just as fast. He speeds down the end of the dining hall towards the corridor and exits right as Eraqus rounds the corner.

The boy bows briefly to his Master and continues on his way without turning to look back.

"Like the earth itself he seems determined to search himself across all four corners of this world," Eraqus sighs. He pulls out a chair and starts pouring tea for himself. "I do hope you find the food to your liking. Terra usually marches straight to the training grounds, so I never know."

"It's delicious," she assures. Different maybe, but far better than cold oatmeal.

"That's good to hear," Eraqus says, smiling into his teacup. "Since it is your first day in this world, you are not expected to be thrown into training straightaway. Do you remember what we discussed last night? About getting to know oneself?"

"Yes sir," she answers promptly.

"It is my personal belief that at the tender age both you and Terra are in, the strain of vigorous training need not befall you just yet. There will be studies and disciplining of the body, but for now I do encourage you both to indulge in other activities."

"Um, but sir," she says, fidgeting under his gaze, "isn't Terra already training? I don't mind starting right away either–"

"Ah, to have a rival. How marvelous, I have forgotten…" Eraqus puts down his cup. "It's true the boy trains very hard, and given his earlier arrival, his knowledge of the worlds' lore is greater. But, there is still an important element he lacks to proceed in becoming a Keyblade wielder. Would you like to guess what that is?"

It seems like one of those trick questions the teachers will occasionally ask children to see if they are paying attention. Shamefully, she couldn't pinpoint exactly what is the correct answer. She shakes her head.

"Terra trains every day since he had arrived. I have seen the boy develop his own skills with small guidance of my own, yet he is no closer to producing the Key as he was on his first day. His swordplay, although rough, is rather good for his age. And so, with the ability to summon his own Keyblade, hone its power at an early age, will he not become more remarkable?"

At this point Eraqus is mumbling these thoughts, perhaps more for himself than to share with her. However, at the word _Keyblade_ , she feels a leap of excitement, the handle of the blade ghosting on her hand again.

"You see, I figured somewhere down the line, there must be a balance, something more than training and studies of history's past. Something close to the heart. Terra himself has daily matters to keep busy, and more importantly to discover some hidden truths about himself. In a way, this may be the first step in calling out the Keyblade.

"While I understand both of your eagerness to become warriors, the quickest way to obtain strength lies not with the pursuit of power. I think the best course of action for you is to adjust to the patterns of this world first and learn to trust in the rhythm of your heart. After all, power is born within the heart. When the time is right, you just need to look inside yourself and you will find it there."

The poetry of his words rings in her ears. She tries not to envision the boys back at Radiant Garden. They would probably be indignant if they find out she isn't already on track with being the greatest warrior ever. She smiles at the thought, finishing the last bits of omelette.

Once breakfast is cleared, they step outside to survey the Land of Departure once more. Crossing the bridge, she cannot find Terra among the training grounds. Eraqus holds little worry as to what his other disciple is doing. Instead he gestures at a vague direction nearby the woods.

"Somewhere out here, is a project Terra has been tending to. He has shown me once, and I have to say, I am rather impressed by his craftsmanship to create such a place. He suits his name – I do believe I chose it well."

"What do you mean?" she asks. Her eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Of course, back then Terra went by a different name. But when I discovered him and led him to this world, he insisted that he didn't want it anymore. He wanted a new name, fit for a Guardian of Light. That request was not unusual – in the Golden Age of Keyblade Wielders, it was tradition to have a name, or an alias, that has something to do with the worlds. Like the elements that surround us, and nature that makes each place unique. It signifies what we have to protect, and because of that, nothing is out of reach for us."

She follows the sweeping motion of his hands, revealing Land of Departure in a new light. Looking at it once more, she can see everything a lot clearer. The landscape, which is fully uncovered now that it's morning, is a sight to behold. It holds none of Radiant Garden's symmetric architecture or ridged lines. The land itself isn't quite tame; it is full of lush trees and blooming wild flowers that grew wherever they pleased. Ponds connect with each other through trickle of streams, glittering in the sunlight. The mountains in the distance seemed to reach to the heavens, its peaks touching the clouds. The world is rough, but at the same time, welcoming. It's as if years of being a training ground for wielders has shaped it to beckon light.

"We keep the darkness at bay from the hearts of the world and its inhabitants. Keybearers thought to possess the names found in nature as a…declaration of sorts. Think of it as a domain of power. The more the name is connected to the order of the worlds, the more the worlds see to the name keeper's individual strength, luck, and even fate."

"I didn't know names have that sort of power in them," she admits.

"Well, that much can't be certain," Eraqus smiles wryly. "Still, I don't make light of tradition, especially those that carry good fortune. And so, I decided I'll give all my students names that best reflect their heart's might. Ah, and there he is…"

Eraqus nods to the clearing a few yards away, which leads to a small forest. From out of the shadows Terra pops into view. He's holding a wooden box of tools in one hand and dragging a bag of fertilizer by the other, both probably tools to aid him with his project. After he packs everything up neatly into a nearby shed, he turns their direction, making large expert strides over the hill. When he gets closer, she could see he has a knowing look on his face, like he knew exactly what they had been talking about.

"Terra is a good name," Eraqus continues, nodding towards the boy. "It is the vastness of the land, as well as the sturdiness of the earth. All worlds are only as good as their foundation."

Terra's face is solemn, and he looked every bit as serious as his master. Nevertheless, she catches the pink coloring his ears, and how he busies himself by wiping the dirt clean from his hands with a faded towel.

She turns to face Eraqus once more.

"Will I have to change my name too?" she implores.

"Only if you want to," Eraqus says gently. "As it is, your current name is already quite nice."

She thinks for a moment. After everything that has happened, since leaving Radiant Garden and coming here, she felt fluttering anticipation. It isn't a bad or good feeling, but it's powerful and steady. With everything so uncertain, a little luck is exactly what she needs.

"I want one too," she decides. "Can you…?"

She tries to muffle the shyness that kept creeping up her skin. She felt Terra staring at her again, but his expression is unreadable.

Eraqus' eyes are twinkling, regarding her kindly.

He stoops down to her eye level and puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Without a moment of hesitation, he's giving her what seems like a gift that he picked out ages ago. Maybe he already knew since the beginning.

"Hair like the waves, eyes like sapphire stone," he muses. "The worlds' waters dances and cannot be contained. It gives to all through vast oceans, and travels to those beyond help by streams and rivers. May this encapsulate your curiosity and resourcefulness…Aqua shall be your name."

There is a stillness in the air when he finishes. Terra glances briefly at Master Eraqus, but he doesn't question the decision. Together they look at her, and she released a small breath she was holding to break the quiet spell.

"Aqua," she declares, and it's like breathing anew.

* * *

The rest of the morning was a most peculiar of lesson. There was no arithmetic, reading comprehension, or chemistry. There are no classrooms to enter, or materials to pass out for that matter. There was a lot of history though, and Eraqus spins them a tale from a century ago, about when the worlds were one during the Age of Fairytales. They sat by a slope near a pond cover with lily pads, and the trickle from the streams went in time with Eraqus steady pace as he told them about five factions from long ago, the collection of Light (formally known as Lux), the rise of tension, and the Great War that led to the downfall of many Keyblade wielders.

During each of Eraqus' pauses and prompts of questions, Terra would answer, steadfast and ready, almost anticipating what was next. The boy simpers with pride, and she can feel his smugness next to her. If she could, she would have happily taken down rapid fire notes for the next lesson, but Eraqus hasn't given them any pencil or paper.

"…Thus, the world of Daybreak Town split into many fragments, each piece developing into a world of its own. The stardust that covers the outer atmosphere shines so brightly each world seems like a star. It is theorized that however luminous a world appears reflects on the quantity and quality of children's hearts, yearning and waiting to be seen. It's no coincidence that Radiant Garden honors itself as such a city. They are most likely the brightest world – with the exception of this one – found.

"As you can see, the history of the Keyblade, the Light and Darkness, is not a happy one. The Great War helped to slow the rise of the oncoming darkness, and brought many years of peace, as fracture as it may seem. Yet a colleague of mine and myself have recently felt a stirring amidst."

Catching her look of alarm, Eraqus flags down her unspoken question.

"Yes, even the shadows you encountered in Radiant Garden are just a weaker strand of what is possible. Although there are no real, physical shadows to fight now, darkness is never truly gone. It can rise at any moment, and the responsibility will fall on our shoulders."

"Yes master," Terra quickly replies. She follows his lead, uttering after him, something she's sure he didn't miss.

Eraqus looks at them both with satisfaction.

"Seeing as this was your first lesson, I can understand a lot of this may be befuddling. Terra knows all this by heart, since he's had more time. But perhaps this might help," Eraqus says, pulling out a book from his robes.

It was an ancient volume, with the cover worn, the title faded, and the pages yellowed. She flips through it quickly, catching bits of text about what Eraqus had told them earlier. There's a whole section introducing the five foretellers: _Ira the Reliable, leader of the others…Invi the Virtuous…Aced the Fearless…Ava the Prudent…Gula the Scholar._ They all followed under a master too, selected because they were the best of their kind…She skims to where Eraqus stopped earlier. Past all the countless sacrifice made, for one singular goal–

"Kingdom Hearts?" She thumbs the page. It was mentioned before…

"The elusive Kingdom Hearts," Eraqus murmurs, bending over to see the page. "Heart of all that is cumulated through space and time. The heart of everything, so to speak."

"So then, after the Great War, and after the world had split…was it gone too?"

"While it's true that Daybreak Town is no more," Eraqus says, rubbing his chin, "I would not say it is gone – rather, it was reborn, just more spread out. As for Kingdom Hearts…"

In the corner of her eye, she could see that Terra has abandoned the pieces of grass he was fiddling with, his face turns curious with a piece of the story he hasn't heard of before.

"…I would say it faced a similar fate. Hypothetically, it is still possible to summon Kingdom Hearts, as it is not bound to the physical like we are. However, that is the path of a Seeker…and we should leave the natural laws as they are."

Before she could ask anymore, she feels a warm pat on the head.

"Reborn, very much in a way you were today, Aqua."

She feels a small, sheepish grin make its way across her face. It was a bit strange, knowing that is who she is now. Had Terra felt the same way when his own name was bestowed on him? Once again, he's knotting the grass, determine not to look her way. Eraqus closes the book in her hands.

"The library will be an incredible resource to help you catch up with the history of this world, as well as a number of others discovered from me and the masters before us. Let's see…the first shelf by the door should do. I trust you are acquainted with the library?"

"Yes, Sir Eraqus," she says, bringing the book closer to her chest.

"Then I will leave you two at it until lunch. After dinner we usually have a bit of astrology by the north tower. Chances are likely for clear skies tonight."

He gives them a nod, and both students return it with a slight bow. She felt a little proud then, for even if she is a bit slower than Terra at responding with formalities, she has more or less gotten the hang of it. Eraqus crosses the bridge to the castle. They are alone for a whole of one second before Terra decides that's enough company for today and whisks off, predictably, to the training grounds.

"Hey, um…Terra–" She shuts up, immediately embarrassed.

"What is it?" he drawls, pivoting on the spot.

"Can I come too?"

She originally plans to apologize for yesterday, but the words got jumbled on the way out. She doesn't know why she's asking for permission. Apparently, neither does Terra.

"Doesn't matter to me," he shrugs. She winces, knowing that is probably true.

Still, she follows him to the training ground, nothing more than a shadow as he secures the golden hoops on a wooden training pole, laces up his shoes and gears himself with knees and shoulder pads. There was a treasure chest by the connecting bridge from where they came from, and Terra unlocks it. Out from the chest was a wooden sword, the same one from last evening. He gives her another one of his meaningful stares, a sign for her to stay out of his way. She crosses the grounds and settles in near the shade. Terra flexes a bit before working in a few quick strikes with his sword. After he was satisfied with that, he shifts into a guarded stance, circling the brass loop like one would to an enemy. She flips through her book, landing once more on the page of the foretellers.

She likes all of them in equally, including their animal symbols; all of them a master in their own right. It was rather tragic then, for things to unfold how they did. The text shows how they each had a different style of fighting: _Master Ira has near immunity, his battles won over strong defense…Master Invi is a graceful mage, every attack fused with magic…Master Ava has perfect form, her strikes straight and true…Master Gula is the keen one, always setting up his attacks to confuse and ensnare his opponent._

She looks up from her book to see Terra making wide, rapid swings at the hoops. Eraqus did not lie; the boy has talent in swordplay. His jabs are slow, but definitely hold power.

"Hmm…kind of like…" She scans the page to find the master she was looking for, and upon finding it, whispers a quiet "aha!"

 _Master Aced is a known wielder that relies on strong barrages to subdue his foes. Although slow to strike, his endurance in battle can outlast most, and let it be known that even one hit from this Master can knock out anyone who is less than his equal._

She raises her book up, so she can match the illustration of the foreteller to Terra. Even the way Terra knocks at the hoop holds some semblance to Master Aced's finishing jab. She continues to watch as Terra parries and dodges. His breathing is getting deeper now, his skin flush. Still, when he turns at a certain angle, his eyes reveal to be just as blue as ever. She indulges for a moment too long, enough for those eyes to skim over and meet hers–

"Guh!" Terra grunts as he hits the ground hard due to a misstep. Seeing her about to get up to help, he holds out a hand to stop her. "Just stay over there," he hisses.

His face is completely red now. She stands still, stung by his harshness. As he readies himself to a defensive position, he half pulls a backward glance at her again, before thinking better of it and charging to claim victory over the hoops. As practice wanes on, he was not faring any better; if anything, he is slipping up and making more mistakes, stopping himself from eyeing her almost as if he expects that she'll get satisfaction from it. Midway through his dodge roll, she decides to head to the library.

"Hey, you–" He pauses, coughing uncomfortably onto his fist. "Aqua."

It sounds warble and forced, as if he is pulling her name from murky waters.

"Yes?" she says, suppressing the surprise from her voice.

"Where are you going?"

It is phrased less of a question and more of an accusation. She has never known any other child her age to hold such regard for themselves as to monitor the other; even the prefects at school were never this haughty. Had he asked differently, she might have told him.

"Well it doesn't matter to you, I don't think," she says quietly.

He raises an eyebrow at this.

"No, it doesn't…" he replies slowly, "…but if it did, it'll only be to make sure you don't get into any sort of trouble."

"I won't. But I'm probably causing a lot of trouble here, since you've been slipping and falling a lot–"

"I have not!" he growls, before steeling himself. "And you haven't answered the question."

"I'm just going back to the castle," she says. She makes a point not to say where, though.

"If that's all you're going to do you can go."

She doesn't leave immediately at what appears to be a dismissal. Instead, they stare at each other in silent defiance, before she remembers he's still got a wooden sword in his hand, and he wonders if she's ever going to blink as a sign of submission. He breaks contact first, maybe deciding this wasn't worth the time he could spend training.

She broods all the way back to the castle, mostly out of worry. She's never been so confrontational to another person before; on principle she avoids conflict. How then, was she supposed to sidestep Terra, when he lives in the same quarters she does, shares training and meals with her?

Finally reaching the library, she steps in to find the first bookshelf just as Eraqus had mentioned. Her jaw drops – there are rows and rows of books, and this is only considered the beginning. It will take her weeks to forge ahead, let alone catch up, to Terra. She marvels at the old, withering essays, finally making out where she has to start from. The top row is a bit hard to reach, even as she presses square on the shelf, on her tip-toes. Thankfully, there's a nearby stepladder, and she climbs on top to read the spines of each volume, from _Practical Uses of Potions and Charms_ to _Standard Techniques of Swords and Shields._ Histories of different, well known Keyblade wielders are placed in-between.

She grabs two thick books and sighs at the sheer weight of it. Finding a table by the window, she tips them over. It's rather unlikely that she'll manage to finish one by the end of today…

Terra's not quite sneering, but proud face crosses her mind.

With a loud scoot from her chair, she rushes back to the first shelf, and pulls out three more books.

* * *

The chime of the bell startles her awake. She rubs her eyes, searching for a clock. High noon already…with a long stretch, she could feel the tiredness from earlier melt away. The nap was a long and refreshing one, so the promise of sleep will surely elude her tonight too.

The piles history books are laying out in the open. She had folded tips of pages she thought were interesting to take a second look at while underlining important dates and facts. The books themselves held various scribbles from readers before her, some faded and some more visible. The ones she can make out were written in fresher ink but are no more visible than the rest. The penmanship is poor, and she is certain a few words are misspelled. She pulls out a blank piece of paper and scribbles some words on it in perfect script. There's immense satisfaction in knowing her handwriting is head and shoulders above Terra's. However, this small victory becomes further diminished by the fact that if Terra had indeed written on this book, that meant he has already finished it, and so back she went, plowing through page after page.

She takes a break only when her stomach is growling with hunger. Hopping off her chair, she heads over to the dining hall, but changes direction at the sight of the neighboring room's door held ajar. If she recalls correctly, it's the treasure room, but she's never been inside it. She takes a cautious peek inside.

Terra's back is facing her. He's sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by boxes. Each box is full to the rim with odd trinkets, mismatch of things, some she suspects that are broken. Terra is holding on to a thin slip of something – a photograph maybe – and what little she sees of his face is seldom, a look that's far too serious. It's a moment that belongs to only him, and she fears that if she is to swing the door open, she would pop his bubble of peace. She slips away, careful to go unnoticed.

The halls are empty as she passes them to reach the dining hall. Although food was placed on the table, she couldn't see any signs of Eraqus. After a silent meal, she roams about, but there's still no signs of the Master.

"He's not here," Terra utters flatly, after she's made a full circle around the castle and stands once more at the entrance of the dining hall. "The Master leaves almost every day to survey new worlds. He won't be back until late."

"Oh," she says, a bit abashed at being caught wandering without reason. "What do you usually do when he's away?"

He shifts his weight on his other foot. "None of your business."

What follows is an awkward silence.

"Okay," she mutters, trying to rid the discomfort.

"Look," he sighs, rubbing the back of his neck, "you can do anything you'd like for now, since you haven't been given any chores. The best thing would be to just catch up on lessons, and try not to poke around at stuff, or cause any problems."

"I'm not trying to," she says, readying herself for another one of his cold replies.

Yet Terra is already walking away, and she has no desire to chase after him, to seek his approval. She spins around, heading the opposite direction. To tread carefully around each other is going to be a hard task indeed.

* * *

"…and there, you see, in the constellation not far beyond, is a world that lies between two suns…" Eraqus explains, pointing at the mass above.

They are situated at the north tower, the night sky dazzling them with its radiance. It's cloudless, just as Eraqus had promised. Both students take turns looking through a brass telescope, hyper aware to keep at being mild-mannered now that the Master is back. Eraqus had returned a little after 6pm, according to the clock in the library. After a dinner with more assortments that she couldn't name, the three of them climbed a circular stairway to the highest tower, where Eraqus began pointing with precision at every world he's familiar with. Lucky for her, she had brought a notebook this time, and as Eraqus begins listing off the characteristics of this world, her pencil is ready, and she's jotting down shorthand notes as fast as he could say them out loud.

"Because of its position, it has a unique feature that no other world can replicate – even as it spins in place, with constant exposure to both suns, it never experiences night. The days go by in perpetual twilight."

"Wow," she whispers, as Terra passes over the telescope.

Unfortunately, because of its weak range, the most they can see is the stardust surrounding the world. They have to be wary not to look for too long though, as the worlds' magnified still have potential to blind their eyes. For a while they sit without talking, comfortably full from their meal before. Eraqus reminisces, Terra drifts a little way off to look at other constellations, and she flips through yet another book Eraqus has brought with him.

"Mr. Eraqus sir, what about when stars blink?"

Eraqus shifts his gaze sadly to the ground.

"That strange phenomenon appears only as a signal when a world succumbs to darkness, collapsing in on itself until there is nothing left."

"Oh." She gulps. "I'm sorry…"

"Dear Aqua, there is no need to apologize. An excellent question is still worthy of being asked, no matter the answer." Eraqus points at the book in her hands. "Much like how many stories hold sad events, they are recorded because they hold truths that are irreplaceable in our attempt to move forward from the past."

"Alright sir," she says, looking down at the text. "I think I understand."

"At any rate, it's still a wonder how darkness can even overtake a world. It's a strange case, something that happens so rarely that very few has borne witness to. I believe Ansem the Wise is studying this very question as we speak, but we both have so few leads, and even fewer ideas to even form a hypothesis."

On the Master's other side, Terra has gone quiet, sporting the same expression she's seen when she crossed the treasure room.

"So then, that's why you left? To study other worlds and get an idea?"

Eraqus faces them both with a somber expression. "I do apologize for my absence. I do not intend to make light of my position as a mentor. Even so, I will be leaving from time to time to look for shifts in patterns, as well as potential outbreaks of danger. There are answers to questions that I'm sure will give us certain closures we might need."

She could be imagining it, but she felt the last sentence being directed to Terra. If he realizes it, the boy made no signs of acknowledgement.

"However, you'll be glad to hear that I will not be going about as much," Eraqus says, a tiny smile gracing his features, "since you have arrived. I think, with two promising students now I'll have my hands full in shaping you both to be the most astounding wielders the worlds have seen yet."

Like all those times Eraqus has roused her spirits, this is no different. Something is bubbling forth – even Terra has left behind his neutral mask and was finally wearing what appears to be, a smile. It made his face softer, fully uncovering his lovely features.

He puffs out his chest a little, brimming with determination. He has no doubt that he will become a Guardian of Light in the future, so why should she? To have a rival…it's just as Eraqus said, isn't it? She can't let Terra be the only one.

A surge of excitement washes over her at the thought of becoming a full-fledge Master.

* * *

The night goes by as a sleepless one. The hours ticks on as she studies by lantern, devouring each book she could get her hands on, until her head is swimming with names and facts. _The Foretellers…The Great War…endless promise of Lux…collapsing worlds and rebirth…_

Soon her eyelids grew heavy, and it's time to turn in lest she falls asleep during Eraqus' impromptu lectures. She stifles a yawn as she makes her way out the library. Again, the treasure room has its door left open. She creeps nearer to the gap. Had Terra forgotten to close it? Speaking of which, he was examining something here earlier, something important. She bites her bottom lip. The whole thing is far too curious for her to let go.

She pushes pass it, glad to find the room empty. Just her, and a couple of boxes. She digs through the nearest one, combing at all its hidden treasures. There are items which she is familiar with, like a ruler, a bag of marbles and a small trophy cup. Then there are others which beckons more of a mysterious air – loose pages of a diary, a ring with its jewel cracked in the center, and an ornate mirror.

Another crate holds knickknacks which she isn't familiar with. None of them works, as she tries multiple times to operate what appears to be a music box. She pokes around the stuff underneath in a similar fashion. In the end, she ruffles through most of the available trunks, with nothing to show for it except the dust on her hands.

Dust…it occurs to her how odd it was, for all this to be left alone, and for such a long time too.

She picks up one of the diary pages from earlier. The date marks it to be thirty odd years ago, from a town she's never of, written by a woman of twenty. A quick rummage between the page causes an old photograph to fall, that of ordinary townsfolk going about their daily lives.

She grabs the marble bag she discarded. Flipping it over, she reveals a messy scrawl of perhaps a six-year-old boy. The ring with the cracked jewel on the top has words etch in the inner surface, something about everlasting love – a wedding band.

She had assumed that everything in this room was, as Terra had mentioned, "just old stuff from before Master Eraqus" or collections from the masters before him. However, there is just too much history and intimacy for that to be true. Each crate holds the stories of multiple inhabitants from different places.

There is nothing wonderful or magical about any of these objects, only a displaced sadness. She is right to think she's intruding. Her neck prickles.

She's standing on a small graveyard, holding remnants of worlds long gone.


	4. CH 3, A heart that is stronger still

CH 3: A heart that is stronger still | _Lend me your strength, and I'll lend you mine_

* * *

"Pond lilies, mud and moss all indicate whether or not water is close at hand," Eraqus explains, as he stands nearby a thick stream that cuts through the forest. He points at the rocks nearby, all covered with green moss, then at the grass wet with dew, and finally at the mud, slick on his student's shoes.

Today the three of them take a detour outside of the familiar mountain path and down the slope, nearer to the woods. So far Eraqus has shown Terra and Aqua how to read the terrain, everything from different types of rocks to plants to trees. Depending on what is spotted, location becomes an easy thing to figure out.

The two students follow him through the woods, momentarily stopping whenever a thought occurs to Eraqus that is imperative to share. Most of their lessons are like that, and Aqua has grown accustom to his offhand teachings – they're like streams, branching out in different directions, but eventually coming back and merging together within banks of water.

"Some worlds are without people or towns, just open wilderness. In fact, I've encountered a world full of just animals, and had even banded together with a handful of lions." Eraqus grins as both Aqua and Terra gape in wonderment at the statement. "But that's a story for another time. The reason why you must remember these tips is that remote worlds hold dangers of their own, even if they are not strictly physical…"

Days in which they go exploring are, in Aqua's opinion, the best. They get to wander around freely, taking in the grass and clear blue sky. So far, they have crossed a narrow path behind the underside of a waterfall, seen flocks of geese and hummingbirds fly off, and smelled the sweet fragrances of honeysuckle lingering in the air. She learns new things that she didn't consider of much consequence before. Dirt is just dirt, at least until the Master makes it so much more. Living in a world with mountains and steep cliffs is tricky, and Eraqus proceeds on telling his students the dangers of landslides as well as how to spot them and endure the worst-case scenario.

Every time they go for a trip to acquaint themselves with survival or wilderness tidbits, Aqua finds herself yearning to cross beyond what they have already explored. However, no matter how close, they never leave the road Eraqus leads them with – by the end of the afternoon, they always go back to the castle, where the Master directs them to books on plant life (what is edible, what cures ailments, and what can knock you out for good if you aren't too careful), water cycles, and rocks. It's dry reading, every single one, and Aqua's fairly certain she's the only one who bothers to flip through them.

The nights go by, far too short for her to cover everything at once. Although the funny thing is, almost all that she has read circles back to Kingdom Hearts, whatever it is – she still hasn't got a clean grasp of it. She drills and drills until some names sticks, some constellations clear up to finally become actual patterns. Terra becomes silent during their lessons, giving her the opportunity to reply to Eraqus' open questions. Though, given the gleam in his eyes, Aqua is certain that he knows the answer. He's holding back, almost as if gauging her knowledge in comparison to his. This would be alright, if only it didn't interfere with her own studies.

Recently, whenever she makes her way to the library after dinner, the books she's been meaning to take out are gone.

* * *

The fourteenth day since Aqua's arrival in the Land of Departure is a momentous one – it's her first lesson with Eraqus on swordplay. While they have been steadily working their way to that point with various other exercises, she could not be satisfied any longer, not when compared to Terra, who is still sparring on his own. She watches his movements just as before but limits herself in case he becomes too aware.

The two students and the Master head over to the summit on a hot afternoon, a stash of potions and protective gear at hand. She is to observe at the sideline first, while Eraqus and Terra set up to spar. As Eraqus points out, it will ease her into her very own first battle. Once Terra fastens the last of his gear, the two of them circle each other, wooden swords at the ready.

After a moment's deliberation, the student springs onward with a straight thrust, easily deflected by a downward swing from the Master. Terra leaps back, before making his way under Eraqus' arm, trying to get closer to his target. Eraqus reads this too, and merely sidesteps as Terra wavers to and fro, looking for some kind of opening. Eventually, Terra unleashes a wave of sharp jabs, each met with parries of equal measure from Eraqus.

With one small step, the Master pushes Terra back with the strike of his own, sending the boy back a couple of paces.

Terra's lips curl as he shifts his feet, away from a brace to a more sprint-like stance. He jets back to the Master with speed Aqua hasn't seen him use before. The tip of his blade hits the flat of Eraqus' sword. The Master looks on, amused.

"A sliding dash. Not bad," Eraqus chuckles, "but not quite, Terra."

In an instant, Eraqus hits the base of Terra's weapon, and with a quick twist he brings the sword to the ground with a wooden clatter.

"Shall we try again?"

"Yes," Terra huffs. "Yes Master."

This goes on for a bit longer, each time with Terra on the offense and Eraqus on the defense. The boy is openly gasping now, sweat dripping down his chin. It hasn't been more than half an hour, but given his movements, the constant leg work and swings are finally wearing him down. Eraqus, on the other hand, is perfectly fine. Other than the occasional dodge, the Master's footwork never strays past his fix position, making it all too easy for him to rest as he brushes off his student's barrage.

"My boy, your swings are too wide, and so is your stance. If you want to keep fighting in such a way, you must find a solution to keep your defenses up. Otherwise–"

Eraqus pulls back, then lunges at the boy with a slap to his torso on the flat of his blade. Terra doubles over, sinking to the ground.

"Do you yield?"

"Not – not yet…" Terra's eyes are gleaming fiercely. He's smirking.

"As much as I appreciate that sort of determination," Eraqus says, "I do believe you have to back down this time Terra."

"Huh?" Terra frowns. "Why?"

"Well, simply put, it's Aqua's turn."

They both spin to face her. She gulps.

Terra eyes widen with realization before he dips his head to look bitterly at the ground. By the looks of it, he's forgotten completely that she was even there. Aqua shuffles forward to meet with Eraqus, as Terra stalks back to the side to apply potion on his newly formed bruises.

Eraqus shows her the fundamental basics; how to strike, to block, to parry, and even how to stand right. He lets her practice getting a few hits in, stopping to guide her hands with the correct motion.

"Do not hesitate with your attacks. Always try to hit quickly, that way your opponent will have a harder time seeing through it."

He does not say much on her blocks. He gives a few experimental strikes, each of which she catches.

"You have excellent reflexes. Good. Now, let's test them to battle."

Aqua and Eraqus part the same distance as he and Terra did, beginning with a slow circle. She tries to be as cautious as ever; her stance is more closed than Terra's and she holds out her geared left arm in case she has to block early. Eraqus studies her, waiting for her to make the first move, but she holds out. She figures maybe it'll be best if she waits for him. After all, in _Standard Techniques of Swords and Shields_ , it states the best way to get to know your foe's attack patterns is to study them first.

"Not attacking?" Eraqus questions, before giving a thoughtful _hmm_. "Then I suppose I'll go first."

He rushes in with speed that is far superior than that of his pupil. Aqua barely had time to lift her sword up to block it.

"A sliding dash…!" she exclaims.

He's directly in front of her, but her sword is ready–

Eraqus fakes a right, then swoops over to hit her left. She parries just in time, but he leaves no room to breathe. He keeps pushing, forcing her to take a step back each time. Her defense is chipping away every second, and she is fumbling because she doesn't have enough time to protect herself, let alone retaliate. Fear, which presence was at first subtle enough, now grips at her completely.

The Master senses her unease but does not let up. He disarms her just as he did with Terra, all of this happening under a minute. The wooden sword scrapes her palm as it leaves her hand, scorching it red. Aqua squeaks in pain, about to grab her potion to gloss it over when Eraqus stops her.

"You may want to save that," he warns. "Our battle is far from over, and I assure you, there will be many other injuries in the future. One of the crucial parts of training is to build a tolerance for pain. Now, are you ready to go again?"

Her hand still stings, among the other jabs the Master made as he poked through the holes of her defense. This…isn't very fun. The flashy, astonishing combat is different now that she's on the receiving end. Aqua wants time to halt, to give her a chance to catch her breath, or maybe just say no, but she hasn't a moment to dwell. Eraqus is readying his stance, and she could see Terra a few yards away, clearly unimpressed by her performance.

Hadn't she known, or rather, expected there to be something like this when she left Radiant Garden? She grew too enraptured by the promise of being a Keyblade Master that she forgot – incredibly and irrationally – how she has to work for it.

Eraqus continues to give her a verbal lesson on how to properly spar as they go on. She dodges his rush, tripping on occasion. "Keep an even distribution of weight on each leg," he says, weaving through and landing a blow. "Deflect more!" Another hit. "Guard with your armor, not your hand." And another.

By time Aqua is allowed a break, she is throbbing all over – although, she is sure her bruises are no worse than Terra's. She uses only half her potion, whereas he used all of it from his flask. As she uncaps the cork, it transforms from a liquid state to a light mist that showers her body. The pain dulls, swept by a cooling sensation. The cuts look fainter, the wounds and scrapes are closing up.

Terra splashes water on his face from a pond back at the pathway, which seems like a good idea, but she figures if she were to try the same thing, he would shoot her an accusatory glare. Eraqus sits on a bench by the other side of the summit, looking as pensive as ever.

"Sheer opposites in fighting…" he mumbles. "How curious…"

After some deliberation, he calls his two students over.

"When it comes to combat, the best way to strengthen your move set is to practice with different people, that way your combinations don't get stale." Eraqus moves his head to face Terra and Aqua in equal measure. She has an uneasy feeling with what that implies, and so does Terra.

"But Master," Terra cries, already indignant. "I can't train with her, we're on completely different levels–"

"And that is precisely why, my boy." Eraqus says, waving away the boy's protest. "Aqua needs to improve to match you in the future. You will find what you can learn from each other holds as much value as what I can teach. Don't forget – it is very likely that both of you will serve as each other's partners and companions, even as Masters."

Terra is chewing the side of his cheek, fiercely trying to come up with a counter argument. His train of thought is completely lost, however, when Aqua speaks up.

"Sir, I agree with Terra. I don't want to – er, I mean, I think it's best if I train with you. For the basics."

The moment this leaves her mouth is the moment Aqua knows how much of a mistake she's made. Eraqus looks at both of his students in a way that she's sure he is taking note of the distance which they are standing apart from each other – of how Terra is scowling, no matter how hard he's trying to hide it, and putting it together with her defiant outburst.

"Before either of you say anymore, I would like for you to cross blades before you cross judgement with me. Try before you resist something that's new. If you don't have a measure of strength outside of your own, it will be difficult to gain any improvement, I assure you." Eraqus claps his hands together. "Now, make your way to the center and begin."

The finality of his orders could not be disputed. The two students head over as instructed and begin circling each other. Aqua keeps a steady grip on her sword and puts most of her weight on her back foot, in case she has to leap back from his charge. Sure enough, Terra makes the first move and attacks, as she correctly predicts, to her left. A sharp _whap_ echoes as their wooden swords connect.

Terra wastes no time in pushing her back after that; Aqua recoils as he advances with each lunge. The match is going on too similarly to what she had with Eraqus, and if she doesn't do anything fast, it will end the same as well. She tries a few strikes back, but her handling of the sword is clumsy, and Terra easily knocks them aside.

Terra is neither as fast nor strong as Eraqus, so this should have been easier. However, he has the leverage of stamina over her, and Aqua can't keep blocking him forever. The swings he makes are much quicker face to face, and her deflects are weaker now, even if she can read his moves. Every breath is costing her, and there is an ever-growing stitch at her side.

With a surprise sliding dash and upper strike, her sword goes sailing over her head. She gasps, barely registering what has happened. Terra brings his weapon down to his side.

The spar ends well below a ten-minute mark. Aqua hurries over to pick up her sword. Through the curtains of her hair, she expects to see Terra sport a subtle gloat, maybe with the slight curve of his lips only she could tell, carefully hidden from the Master. However, much to her surprise, Terra is neither proud nor smug over his victory. The boy merely looks onward, unamused and almost bored, as his gaze drifts past her to survey their Master. Shame settles in the pit of Aqua's stomach. She hasn't been anything to him, not even someone worth fighting...

The afternoon wanes to dusk, and they go for a few more rounds until Eraqus beckons them to stop. By the end of it, Aqua has not produced a single win.

"It is as I expected," Eraqus nods. "Regardless, excellent work, the both of you."

The Master goes on to make suggestions of their form and technique, but Aqua doesn't hear any of it. Nothing is more pressing at this point than her constant losses, of being dismissed as nothing more than a chore. Her face burns as she keeps quiet while the lesson concludes, dimly aware that Eraqus suggests for them to head back to the castle.

When the three of them leave the summit, she finds that her arms, tired and sore, can barely hold the now incredible weight of her sword.

* * *

That night, Aqua stays by the forecourt for some time before she has to retire back to bed. Whereas she would normally work through these hours with the certain zeal of catching up to Eraqus' expectation, and perhaps overtaking Terra along the way, tonight she feels as lost as she did when she discovered what really was in the treasure room. She stares listlessly at the stars, unable to pick at where Radiant Garden should be.

"Sorry you guys," she whispers under her arms as she curls up. "I'm not as good as you thought I was."

She plans to sulk the whole night away, but it seems that it isn't an option. No sooner had she decided this did the doors of the castle creaks open, and out comes Eraqus. She stands up, hastily wiping the grass stains from her seat, only for him to wave her actions away and plunk down close to where she sat before. She eases back to the ground, trying to keep the glum from her face.

"How brilliantly the stars shine tonight," Eraqus hums. "I find that looking at them brings me a great deal of comfort. They remind me of where I have been and where I hope to go."

Eraqus begins listing the constellations, providing a brief review to their astronomy lessons a few days prior. He prompts her to answer, and slowly but surely, she is able to find her old home. At first, she exclaims with joy, having found it at last among the cluster, but her voice falters, and suddenly, Aqua is overcome by a horrible realization – unlike Eraqus, there is no place for her to hope to go except home.

With what has happened today, she's blotched his impression on her by revealing how poorly she could handle a sword. Did he come out then, to tell her that there has been a mistake? That she is no longer worthy if she is nowhere close to the strength of his first pupil, so why bother? Her lips tremble as she tries to form her next words.

"Should I pack right away sir?" she blurts out, before fear renders her mute.

"Aqua, what do you mean?" Eraqus asks, puzzled at the change in their conversation.

"I mean that I lost." Aqua droops her head down to her knees. "Not just once, but like, every match. I'm no good at this even if I do summon a Keyblade. And even Terra hasn't managed to do that yet, so there's no chance I could. You're going to send me back home, right?"

Eraqus takes a moment to digest her worries. Then he lets out a full laugh.

"My dear," he says, after the delight has worn off. "There is no sense in taking you back. This is your home now."

"But sir, I – I've lost to Terra–"

"Yes, and Terra has lost to me," Eraqus states matter-of-factly. "If it's all in the matter of who wins and who losses, then – forgive me if I am being too callous – but I will always champion. At least until time allows."

She blinks. "That's because you're a Master..."

"But I was not always. I started off as a student, just the same as you two, if not a bit older in age. It is through practice things get easier. Terra has only honed his skills this far because of that, and still he has ways to go. You can usually tell by shape of a person's hands."

Eraqus lifts his own for her to see. Shining in the moonlight is the rough texture of his palms. Timidly, she presses her own smooth hand to lay on top of his, feeling out every millimeter of calluses. Although not exactly withered or old, his hand gives a sense of fine age and experience, brought out by its harden texture. When he closes his eyes, that scar etched on his face stretches, making its presence known when she least expects it.

"You see, regardless of how much we win or lose, that alone does not determine our greatness. It is our ability to preserve and hold on to what _we define_ as victory that matters more. For example, I make it my lasting duty to teach and bestow those with talent to unlock their heart's desire. Terra strives to be the mightiest of all." He pauses. "And what about you?"

"I want," she says, swallowing thickly, "I want to become a Keyblade Master."

"And no doubt you will," Eraqus says, then a bit jokingly, "so long as you don't cry for your old home after every defeat."

She sighs through her nose, the corner of her lips lifting. "Do you think so, Mr. Eraqus sir?"

"I? Of course," Eraqus says, without a hint of doubt. "I believe you have the splendid makings of a worthy Keybearer. But you don't have to take my word, or rather, anyone else's to believe that."

It's unspoken, but she's sure she knows who Eraqus is referring to. Again, the gloominess returns, but this time it is accompanied by a twinge of annoyance. Even if they achieve the goal of becoming Masters themselves in the future, Aqua can't bring herself to see Terra as a partner, especially if he doesn't even see her as an equal. Something about Eraqus' statement hints to the fact he knows of their strain, and he seems to consider a moment before telling her the truth.

"Aqua, would you like to hear a story?"

"Yes sir," she says, wondering if it's a lesson only disguised as so.

"To be honest, it's not a happy one," Eraqus huffs, "but it's important all the more."

Eraqus looks upwards to the sky, his face hardening so that any signs of merriment from before has vanished.

"It was a few years ago, back when I had no students. During my search, one of my colleagues gave warning to me about a certain distress happening where he was. He asked for my help, thoroughly connecting our hearts so I can travel straightaway to him, past all the stars and the worlds. I was enveloped with light, and in that instant, I understood – I was making my way to a world that was in danger of being snuff out. Completely."

Aqua heard a gasp. At first, she is startled, having no idea where it came from, then realizing it was her who made the sound.

"When I got there, I saw no sign of my friend. All I saw was a surge of those dark creatures, shadows overtaking the land. You see, the world was already spent. Its light was not strong enough for the intruders. Where the darkness came from was a mystery. Despite all that, I witnessed something remarkable – I found a boy on a collapsing world. It was falling to darkness, and as it was, he nearly fell alongside it.

"Out of all the children I've seen, he possessed the strongest light by far. Unfortunately, the brightest light often cast the longest shadow. The creatures followed him until the very end. I was able to pull him out, but I regret...well, he did not leave the world unscathed. Darkness struck his hand, and try as I might, my magic has no cure for that.

"I imagine his parents and the other residents have found refuge elsewhere. However, we have no way of knowing for sure, with all the other uncharted worlds existing. Still, I do hope..."

The Master left that sentence hanging in the air, and this time Aqua really didn't know what to say. There was sadness in his voice, and maybe a little bit of wistfulness too.

It's very, very late by now. They both get up from the grass and head back to the castle. As Aqua is about to head off to her bedroom on the opposite wing, Eraqus stops her to tell one more thing before he retires himself.

"Terra has seen and bore witness to many things. He went from a place of darkness and came out of it at a very tender age." Eraqus says. "And so, I hope it is not too much of me to ask for you to still be kind to him. Strong hearts need support from stronger hearts still, my dear."

"Yes Master." She says, and bows to Eraqus, just as Terra would have.

As she makes her way to her room, she could see Terra's just a few paces away. His door is closed, but underneath she could see faint light emitting from the gap. She wonders if he's still working through those books he managed to swipe from under her nose, or perhaps he's carving out something from the wood blocks with knives, as she saw from her first day – the only time she was able to see his room.

She knows about privacy, had even wanted more than that the orphanage could give. But still, there ought to be something greater to a person other than locked rooms and muted expressions.

As she falls to slumber, thinking about all that Eraqus had told her, she figures out the boy across the hall better, if just a little bit. Maybe it's no surprise that he is sullen and detached. Was he scared when it happened? When everything he knew was falling? When _he_ was falling?

Questions upon questions. Aqua could feel sleep trying to claim her before long, the sensation akin to her mind dropping fast but still holding on to a precious thought – a wonder more accurately, of when Terra will finally open the door.


	5. CH 4, The sweet wilderness

**CH 4: The sweet wilderness**

 _I'll show you were the dandelions grow_

* * *

As promised, during the next following days Aqua tries her best, not only to be neutral, but to treat Terra with gentleness. She lets him have first pick at everything, from the food spread to chores to bath times; Terra hasn't noticed at first – he is so used to getting things without sharing anyhow – but soon he grows suspicious of her graciousness. With no preamble to her actions, she sees the confusion sweep through his face, and that in itself she finds wickedly hilarious. Terra examines whatever help she gives with shrewdness, as if she has poisoned the salt shaker, or hid the broomsticks, or flooded the bathroom if it was his turn to wash.

As retaliation, he takes three times the number of books he regularly does from the shelves, leaving her no choice but to work around it and study sections which hasn't been mention by Eraqus yet. Terra also distances himself further until training time. He does more physically taxing warmups, like jumping higher than her, just to show he can. When they spar, he wins without relenting on any of his attacks.

Despite constantly losing, Aqua feels herself gaining the experience Eraqus said they need, not just from a Master, but from each other. She still can't manage a sliding dash the same way Terra can, but her footwork is getting better, her blocks are solid, and the handling of her wooden sword is not so clumsy anymore. Terra seems to sense Aqua's improvement as well, and their matches become fiercer.

One day Eraqus ends their fight early and surprises her with a high compliment on how far she's come in a matter of a few sessions. She beams at this, and although Terra is off to the side, decidedly not happy at this recent development, it does not dampen her spirits.

The Master continues on to give them with another great announcement: both students have more or less gotten the hang of using quick blitz. They are ready to move on to various stunning strikes.

"We will save that for tomorrow, as it is a big lesson," Eraqus clarifies, just as Terra's beginning to strap his armor tighter. "Instead, why don't you two take the time to work on other aspects of endurance? I think a race across mountain path will do."

Since they're already at the summit, the race will finish by the forecourt. Whoever reaches the middle of the base wins.

"Simple enough, I'm sure," Eraqus says, standing at the starting line.

"Yes, Master."

The two of them crouch on either side of Eraqus, Terra to the left, Aqua to the right. As Eraqus begins the countdown, Aqua can't help but feel secretly pleased; she was the fastest girl of her grade in Radiant Garden. On some occasions, she was an even match for the upper years, and so when they held tournaments during summer school, she was always within the top eight. Although Terra is smirking now, thinking the race is his, she plans to give him a small shock by the end of it. Their sneakers grip the grass, their arms poised to take flight–

"Go!"

The two of them sprint past their Master, almost equal in distance before setting a steady rhythm. They rush through the narrow pathway set by the mountains before emerging on the other side. They trample onwards, and Terra inches forward. Aqua tries to keep pace with him, but it's then that she feels something is off.

Whereas she normally is able to get an early head start in any race she's participated in, she can barely keep up with Terra now. It's all wrong – she's losing her sense of balance, can hardly find steady footing on this uneven road. The dirt flies to her face as her feet land and pebbles bounce, hindering her steps. Terra gains more momentum further down the path, leaving her stumbling after him.

Aqua gasps as she trips slightly from a dimple in the road. In an abrupt understanding, she figures winning is not as simple as she thought.

She hadn't expected him to be so quick, especially since she is longer legged than he is. But here and now, there is nothing else to describe him except free flying. His body, so used to years of heading down this area, already knows the swells and dips of the land, whereas hers is just now adapting and learning. His feet do not snag, he leaps through puddles and trenches with ease, and yet still, there's more to it.

Every time Aqua is on the verge of catching up, Terra would dive into an unmarked route, leaving her with full advantage of the smoother road. Not that it matters much, because still, his decision has an unseen advantage of being a shortcut, optimized only if one knows where to precisely put down their steps to make it matter, which he has down to science.

The gap's becoming wider, leaving little judgment as to who is going to win, and so Terra, in one bold move, _actually turns his head to look back._

In that moment alone Aqua feels her legs tense, her vision clears. He is ahead, but just a few paces. She begins to time her breathing, widen her sprints and the swing of her arms. Looking for breaks in the ground, she plants her feet where she deems best, never hesitating for more than a quarter of a second. With the evening of her breath, she can feel herself pulling forward now, almost reaching to where Terra is.

He comes in first, reaching the forecourt a full five seconds before she could. They pant for breath as Eraqus comes to meet them, but before he fully arrives, she can see the confident smirk playing around Terra's lips again. Of course, he had expected this, saw his advantage sooner than she did.

"Nice win," Aqua says, once she catches her breath. She reels in her annoyance, remembering what Eraqus had mentioned last night. To show camaraderie, she extends her arm for a handshake.

Terra stops short. His expression turns to one of brief confusion to that of sharp suspicion. He seems undecided, trying to see whether the congratulation she offers is genuine. However, he doesn't have enough time to work through it, because soon the Master is a few feet away, and so he musters up a monotone "thanks" before it becomes too awkward. She drops her hand back to her side.

"A splendid race," the Master intones, "the both of you were neck-to-neck during the last leg. If it stretched on a bit further, I can't honestly say who I think would win."

Terra is fully frowning now. Aqua hides a smirk of her own.

They go in for lunch, heading towards the kitchen, where Eraqus bakes them a loaf of good, warm bread, each a thick slice full of nuts and raisins. There's a pot of stew in the middle of the table, the smell rich with wild game and vegetables. When they seat themselves for the meal, Aqua and Terra both reach for the soup ladle at the same time.

Aqua withdraws her hand quickly, gesturing for Terra to serve himself a bowl. After a week's worth of this, she can now sense Terra's growing annoyance.

"It's fine," he says, voice suddenly sweet as syrup, "you're the guest."

He smiles placidly, but it does not reach his eyes.

"Terra, I would hardly call Aqua a guest," Eraqus corrects, without looking up, still slicing bread for himself. "She's been here long enough, and this is her home as well as yours."

"Okay," Terra nods, and without skipping a beat reaffirms with, "then ladies first."

The two pupils stare at each other, both tight-lipped. Aqua is wearing some of Eraqus' old clothes, from when he was younger. Although the Master had trimmed the ends and sleeves, it still looks too big, and drapes around her like a tunic. She has a feeling Terra sees her as anything but a lady, probably less since the day she's arrived.

She takes the ladle, pouring a generous amount. She drops it just as she finishes, so the moment Terra reaches for it, his hand catches the splash from the broth.

"Sorry," Aqua says, sounding not sorry at all.

"Don't worry," replies Terra with equal coolness, "you can't help it."

The Master clears his throat, and they both settle down. Terra wipes his hand with a cloth. Aqua tears a sizeable chunk of bread to her mouth. With Eraqus mediating in between them, they don't dare to disrupt the peace, passive or otherwise.

At one point Aqua stretches her leg under the table, only to bump it into Terra's. They both jolt before resuming their glare. Terra expects her to retreat back to her corner of the table, but Aqua plants her feet right next to his, since he's on her side, not his own. His legs are invading her space and stubbornly, _stubbornly_ , she's not going to give it up. However, judging from the grim determination of his face, neither is he.

Terra's foot is steadily pushing Aqua's back. In one swift motion, she brings her heel crashing down on the tip of his shoe. To the boy's credit, he did not utter a sound. However, his fingers clench around his spoon so tight she could see the whites of his knuckles. The silent war rages on, both of them becoming more generous with overly polite formalities.

Eraqus sips his tea with a brief sigh escaping his nose.

* * *

During the span of the next few days, Eraqus goes on to dividing their chores in a way that makes it so the two of them would be on opposite sides of the castle, or at the very least, separated by surrounding walls. Both morning and evening duties are carefully paced so that Aqua and Terra would be out of each other's way when it comes to cleaning, prepping food, or maintaining the scenery outside. Aqua suspects Eraqus wants the both of them to resolve their issue on their own; he has little desire to step into something that is their responsibility, let alone time to do so.

As of recently, the Master has started traveling again to restock on food supplies and other necessities. Sometimes he will be gone for a whole day, leaving behind food and instructions for his students. After Aqua's measurements are taken, Eraqus visits an old colleague to meld proper armor for her. He also gets something for Terra too, handing the boy a burlap sack one night after dinner. Terra disappears for the whole morning on the day after, emerging from the woods only for lunch.

With so many hours left unsupervised, Aqua is free to catch up on things. However, without any company to urge her forward, she grows tired of spending hours alone, practicing the stun strikes they've just learned or studying more history. Additionally, Terra still hasn't returned the books he hoarded away, and so Aqua spends the early half of the days racing through mountain path alone. She trips less now and can actually brace her feet better on the road. She makes a game out of chasing her shadow, which usually stretches in front of her during late afternoon, when she races from the forecourt to the summit.

On the fourth day of Eraqus' absence, Aqua goes out for her usual run. She stands at the very edge of the circular court and then, mimicking Eraqus' sage like tone, remarks, "This shall do perfectly. Now, on the count of three…"

And when the count ends she shoots past the even floor to the rocky earth. Although she knows she can never catch up to her shadow, she still tries to pursue it with unparalleled gusto, sometimes envisioning Terra in its place. It works her up all the more, and she thinks how next time, next time, she won't even give him a chance to look back.

The air still holds some of the chills of winter. When Eraqus had went to fetch her from Radiant Garden, spring had just started. By the feel of it, in Land of Departure it is still early in the season, with some of the flowers just shy from blooming.

As she speeds onward, she recalls a particular lesson about the seasons, in which all the worlds that Eraqus has discovered so far rotate around their suns at the same speed, always around the same positions and finishing their year with 365 days. The Master had said it's as if the worlds know that had once been one and are trying to coincide with each other.

"Remember, each world does have a consciousness of its own, so it wouldn't be all that surprising if they are trying to replicate the pattern it knew once before," Eraqus informed them, before moving on to the tilt of a world's axis.

The wind rakes its coolness over her hair, snapping her out of the memory. She makes it to the summit in record time, plopping down on grass near the pond, to dip her feet in the water. The stillness of her body relaxing comes and goes, taking away her adrenaline and leaving behind boredom at its wake. There is something else too, something she can't really place until the hush of her surroundings reminds her – she's alone.

For all the peace she sought back when she didn't have it, she wants nothing more right now than the bustling of other children, the midnight whispers and full belly laughter during recess. How Terra can stand being by himself for this long is a mystery.

She opens her eyes in a lazy haze.

Aqua hasn't seen him since breakfast. She had lunch by herself a while ago and swept around the castle long enough to know he wasn't there. Usually, he would make at least another appearance throughout the day before the Master came back at night. She's about to wonder where he is exactly, before she sternly reminds herself that there's no point – because she shouldn't, in fact, doesn't care at all.

The water sloshes as she stands on her feet. She decides to run back to the castle again, just to add in extra practice. She jogs until it comes to view again, but instead of going to the entrance, Aqua finds herself doing a quick turn, upping her pace to a full sprint as she heads towards the pine trees. Her moves become so automatic she doesn't sense him until they bump into each other round the neck of the woods. They both fall to the ground, hard. It takes a mere second, but as soon as Terra regains his senses, he scowls at her.

"What was that for?" he huffs, rubbing his forehead.

"It wasn't on purpose," she bites back. She's rubbing her forehead as well, wincing at the pain.

"Yeah? Well, be more careful."

She doesn't have a good argument for that, but luckily, a pillar of light shines at the front of the castle. Eraqus has returned.

They look at each other for a beat, before scampering off to meet the Master. Without thinking about it, they up their speed down the road until they are racing against each other.

Terra yet again has the lead, however this time, to her immense satisfaction, Aqua notes that the gap is smaller than before.

They reach Eraqus just as the last of his armor fades.

"Master..." Terra wheezes, bowing in a way Aqua knows is less as a sign of respect, and more as an excuse to catch his breath. Although she is in no position to judge.

"W-welcome back..." she chokes out, heaving just as hard.

Eraqus smiles at the sight of them.

"I'm glad to see both of you hard at work even when I'm away. Did you have a good race?"

"Yes sir," Aqua replies, because it's obligatory, and then because she can't help it, adds "I think I've gotten faster."

"Yes, I saw," Eraqus remarks. "Your progress as a whole has improved drastically. Didn't I mention before? You have great potential."

Aqua grins at this. Her smile widens at the sight of new clothes and her very own armor, which Eraqus reveals in a flourish of light. The clothes have little flair, more on the solid and simplistic side, but she knows on sight they'll fit better, and the fact they are completely new and not worn is enough. The armor is in its repressed form, shining as double shoulder bands. They gleam as sunlight hits it.

"Thank you, Mr. Eraqus." She hugs the gifts close to her chest.

"I'm glad you like it," the Master chuckles. "You should put them away when you get the chance. I dare say your closet has been empty long enough."

The Master takes a moment to survey her enthusiasm, before remembering another gift he has yet to give.

"Ah, and Terra, this is for you."

The usual burlap sack that would normally bring delight from Terra, its contents appreciated fully only by him, is now greeted with aloofness. Aqua notes his quiet acknowledgement of the bag, and his utterance of a colorless "thank you."

It comes out quiet, so much so that it's lost under the thumps of Eraqus' retreating steps. When Terra accepts the gift, his left hand clenches the pouch tightly.

Both students hurry off in opposite directions, each clutching their presents with various degree of gratitude.

* * *

With Eraqus' business done, he becomes present around the castle again, which means once more the two children are forced to be amicable around each other. Even though Terra's comment has lessened in bite, his mood, if possible, has turned sourer. The fine line between rivalry and contempt has been breached somehow, and Aqua can't pinpoint how or when it happened. Crossing swords with Terra has become dangerous, and he would laugh meanly at her losses. He drops their mocking formalities to openly ignore her, or if the moment presents itself, to rudely correct her on this and that.

Aqua fumes in silence during one particular evening, rubbing at a sore spot where Eraqus' blade had reached her, and where Terra had taken advantage of it during their match directly after. She creeps to the opposite wing, where Eraqus' room is, to ask for some ointment when she hears the Master's voice, stern enough to make her spot at her tracks.

"…and nobody deserves it, least of all Aqua. Understand?"

There's some resistance in the air before a response.

"Yes Master," Terra grumbles, and then because he can't help himself, "but she's alright so far. Why do I even have to help–"

"Because," Eraqus interrupts, before Terra can really voice his displeasure, "if your roles were reversed Aqua would never refuse to help any new students I choose. If I told her to look after you in the same way you were supposed to for her, I have no doubt she would readily agree. She has a certain light about her that makes her reach out to people, not push them away. Certainly not out of jealously, and even less so out of fear."

"I'm not jealous!" Terra exclaims. "And I'm not scared of, of anything."

"My boy, admitting these unsavory facts is the first step to confronting the darkness. And hardly anyone is afraid of nothing."

This time the end of Eraqus' sentence is met with heavier silence, and an even more stilted "yes Master."

Aqua is about to edge away from the scene when she discovers she doesn't have to; Terra rushes out, his face darkened by what had transpired. At the sight of her, he's completely outraged. He opens his mouth, and despite not wanting to, she flinches.

No words come. In the heat of his frustration, Terra stomps off. Aqua hears him going down the steps, follow by the entrance doors being swung open. Feeling guilty, she follows him to the forecourt, where he's pacing away.

"How much did you hear?" he demands, as soon as his surprise wears off.

"Not much," she admits. "Just the part about me. I don't know anything else, really."

He stares hard at her. After some time mulling it over, he drops his gaze.

"Okay." He says. He clears his throat. "Okay."

The lapses of speechlessness between the two are always terrible, but this feels like the worse one yet. Aqua bites her lip.

"But I–" Aqua starts, before her voice catches, "I think we should try to help each other, instead of always fighting. That's what Mr. Eraqus mentioned right? It'll be easier that way."

"That is easier," he agrees, "especially for you. But your light and mine are different. There's no way I can – I can…"

Terra stops pacing. Unable to continue with this line of thought, he gives it up entirely before rounding at her with another.

"And it's not 'sir' or 'mister,'" he says sharply. "It's _Master_. Master Eraqus."

Although some part of her knew what Terra said was right, Aqua couldn't help but feel a rise of indignation. Terra huffs in a haughty manner, practically embellishing an unspoken so there, now you know, remark. And then, to quite possibility ensure he's getting the last word on things, he makes to go.

"Wait."

"Now what," he sighs.

"I want a race," she blurts out, surprising even herself. As soon as it leaves her mouth, however, she's sure the whole reason she followed him out tonight is to propose a challenge to end all this.

"We're gonna be doing that tomorrow, so what's the point?"

"Practice," she states simply. By the jerk of Terra's body before he halts, Aqua knew she's peaked his interest. Additional training is something he's never refused. "We can race through the same path as earlier, right to the summit."

Terra stands with his arms crossed, deciding whether or not they should, but as she heads over to the starting point, he follows. When she crouches, so does he.

"Okay, so on my mark–"

"No," he says crossly, "on mine."

"Alright…"

Terra begins the count to three. Just as the last count leaves his lips they both burst forward, feet flying over the dirt road. The wind whips around them, hitting their faces as they each pull forward to gain the lead on the other.

Tonight is just as perfect as the last, bright enough to see the path before the shine of each lantern, quiet enough for them to just concentrate on their evening out their breaths as they pump their legs harder, swing their arms faster.

Aqua feels confident. They are neck to neck, and Terra isn't able to build that distance he had during their previous races. Although she cannot see his face, she can feel his shock at her improvement, his pace no longer lax as he struggles to genuinely gain more speed. Still, he reaches the next bridge first, which forces her to splash through the stream.

No matter – she's not afraid to go off path. She'll embrace any route, so long as they led to the finish line. Terra, sensing the difference, tries to monopolize the smoothest road, which leaves her to trend on slippery grass, gravelly dirt, and more ponds to slosh in. Her sneakers are caked with mud by the time the bridge to the summit comes to view. Her chest is aching as she attempts to suck in more air. Despite it all, it's wonderfully, deliriously, fun.

Aqua laughs out loud.

Her mood further heightens as she inches closer to Terra, his back ridged as he detects her moving up, sensing that the impossible is happening. He's startled now, with his vain attempts to push forward, but she knows in her heart she's faster, and so, without much resistance, she breaks free from their matching pace. She vaguely notices Terra's alarm as he falls back, because soon his presence drops from behind her altogether.

Aqua slaps the mountain's base as she slows down to a halt. She gulps down air, wiping the sweat off her face. After righting herself, it dawns on her – she's won the race. Success is sweet on her tongue, and she's flush with triumph. She turns, ready to drink in Terra's disbelief.

He isn't there. Strange, she has expected him to be by her side now.

"Terra?" she shouts, her voice rising in pitch ever so slightly.

"Ergh…"

A low moan answers her, and she twirls around to see the boy lying face down on the ground. He was getting up slowly to a sitting position as she runs back towards him.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he says, rubbing his nose. "Just tripped."

When he removes his hand, she could see blood smeared on it. Her eyes make their way back to his nose, and she's stunned to see a heavy trickle gloss over his lips, to the point of his chin, where they curve and land, with a prominent splatter on his white shirt.

Aqua extends a hand to help him up, which he ignores. He gets up quickly enough, trying to brush it off like it's a small matter. But on his first step, his ankle shakes, and Terra trembles horribly before he falls back down.

"What's the matter?" she asks in alarm. All thoughts of her victory vanish instantly.

"My ankle," Terra hisses. "I think I sprained it."

"You–" She gulps. "You really think so?"

Terra tries rotating and flexing his foot. He winces and lets out a shaky breath.

"I'll go get Eraqus–"

"No," Terra calls out thickly before she can take a step. "It's way past after hours. We could get in trouble for being out so late, and so far away from the castle. The Master…the Master doesn't need to know…"

Terra's a bit white in the face now, with his bloody nose showing no sign of stopping, even when he tips his head up. Aqua reaches for his hand, but he pulls away. He stands shakily on his good foot, but it isn't enough to support him.

"You need help–"

"I'm fine," he retorts firmly. "I've gotten plenty of sprain ankles before. They always go away after a few days."

"We don't have a few days," she reminds him. "We need to get back to the castle now."

Terra chews the inside of his cheek, knowing the truth of her words. His good foot is still shaking, and he's about to lose his balance. He sighs hard through his nose, turning to her. She walks over to his other side, looping her arm around his waist to grab a fistful of his shirt. He leans on her, however begrudgingly, as they match steps with one another. It's the best Aqua can hope for, and she's careful not to brush his arm as they hobble away from the mountains and back to the castle.

The two try to sync as best they can, but what ends up happening is either Aqua's too fast, or Terra's too slow, and they strive on, tripping over every loose rock.

"Watch it!" Terra yelps, at what is the tenth time they nearly fell.

"Sorry…" Aqua mutters.

The wind is picking up, with a hint of chill that wasn't there before. Aqua shivers. Maybe Terra hasn't realized it just yet, but there is a faint rustle in the bushes. Something is howling in the distance, far and yet too close to her liking. Occasionally yellow eyes will blink at them from the dim, and her heart races, recalling the attack that happened so long ago in Radiant Garden. It's tempting to go running back to the castle on her own, away from all this. But there's still Terra to think about, and really, she rather be together than alone in the darkness.

It's quiet when they finally get back. All the rooms had their lights put out. She's glad for the rugs on the corridors; they do well to muffle their steps and Terra's dragging foot. Careful not to stain the carpet, he pulls his shirt up to soak up the blood from his nose.

Terra whispers directions on how to get to the medic room. Up until now, she hasn't been even aware of its existence. On ground floor, they make two rights until they reach the end of the hall to a small room no bigger than a standard bedroom. Two beds are crammed on opposite corners, one of them looks slept in before, and is covered with clean sheets, while the other has no such impression. She wonders how often Terra got hurt, and how little Eraqus knows about it. She sets him down the bed, and Terra has a look of instant relief now that pressure isn't being applied on his bad foot.

"What now?" she inquires.

"I need some ice from the kitchen. It'll help with the swelling," he says, his voice muffled with a rag soaking the remaining blood on his upper lip. He points at his ankle, which is now plump and angry red.

"Okay," she nods. On her way out, she notices a roll of bandages and tosses it to him, which he catches effortlessly.

It's a hard feat, suppressing her nervousness while speeding through the dining hall to the double doors that leads to the kitchen. It's dark, so she has to feel for the ice chest. She opens it, groping for the ice, until she secures a pouch and drags it out. Slowly, almost catlike, she creeps back out of the kitchen. Aqua entertains the thought of running back. After all, Eraqus' study is well above them. There is little possibility of him still being awake at this hour–

The lights flicker on. She nearly drops the bag.

"Aqua," Eraqus says with astonishment. "What are you still doing up?"

* * *

Eraqus prods lightly at Terra's ankle, causing the boy to wince. His nosebleed has stopped, gratefully. Despite that, the drops on Terra's shirt are sure tells, and Aqua's confident they haven't fooled Eraqus for a second.

After a few more examinations, the Master confirms that a few days' bed rest is in order. Terra can walk around, but not without a crutch. The ice packet is pressed directly on the swollen joint, causing him to shudder violently.

"Sir, but what about a cure spell? Or a potion?" Aqua asks, once she finds her voice.

"Those are needed only for flesh wounds, my dear," Eraqus explains. "This is a bit more complicated than that. Aside from battle, we must not rely too heavily on magic or aides to help us. The body is also a conscious thing – it needs to learn to heal itself when it matters most."

He goes to check on her as well but does not discover any new marks of injuries. Once the Master notes that both of them are relatively well, he starts pressing them with questions.

"May I ask what you two were doing at the mountain trail, and at this hour?" he asks, quietly but no less serious.

They look away, ducking from the full onslaught of his question.

"We were just training Master." Terra says, but he ruins his confidence with the shifting of his eyes.

"Even though it is midnight?" Eraqus is not convinced. "You should know better, Terra."

"I-I," Terra splutters, tongue tied further as Eraqus raises a questioning brow. "I forgot..."

"That was very foolish of you, my boy. Various wild animals roam at this time of night – fortunately you have not encountered any of them, lest your injuries would have been far, far worse."

"Yes Master," Terra mumbles bitterly. The strands of his hair cover his eyes as his head hangs low with shame.

Aqua peeks over Eraqus' back, remorse clawing her chest.

This is all wrong. It was she who suggested they race through the mountains, she who threw caution to the wind. And yet here is Terra remarkably, _inconceivably_ , taking the blame on both their behalf. She can't phantom why; he's made it very clear he despises her.

But as Eraqus remarks exactly what punishment should follow, it dawns on her.

Terra is not fighting back against the Master. In fact, he embraces it as just another one of his duties maybe because – as absurd as it sounds – he's now fully accepted his responsibility to help her. As the Master said, Terra knew better, and she did not. Now he has to reap the extra chores bestowed on him once he's finished healing.

"U-um..." She coughs. Neither one of them looks her direction. "Mister – uh...Master Eraqus! Sir! I..."

Aqua feels her throat closing up. However, it is too late to retract her call. Master Eraqus turns to face her in surprise.

"It was my fault too," she says, unable to keep the small quiver from her voice. "I challenged Terra to race me. It was wrong, but I told him it was for extra training...even though I just wanted to beat him at something. A-and he got hurt because of me."

Master Eraqus is silent for a while, considering the change of events.

"Is this true, Terra?"

Terra opens and closes his mouth. For the first time, he's looking at Aqua, not with the degree of sharpness she's used to, but with wonderment and maybe a little bit of hope.

"I...yes. It's true Master." He confirms this, still staring at the girl who is curiously sticking by him, even though she's shaking like a leaf.

Even more strange is yet another twist; after a moment of surveying both of them, Aqua swears she can see the corners of Master Eraqus' mouth twitch upwards, just a little.

"How unfortunate Aqua," Master Eraqus continues, "I will have no choice but to punish the both of you, then."

Both students' jaws gape open.

"However noble your intentions, both of you have still broken rules, and on top of that, got hurt doing so." Master Eraqus brushes past Aqua to the doorway. "When Terra recovers fully, both of you will be put in kitchen duty, and you are to sweep dust for both wings of the castle. Understood?"

They snap, ridged in place. "Yes Master!"

He leaves them then, and Terra breathes out a sigh of relief. Apparently, this is considered a light sentence, if his relaxed face is anything to go by. He looks much better than he did, moments ago – still, she feels the need to apologize, mainly because the guilt still hasn't settled right with her; if anything, it's threatening to come out.

"Sorry," she croaks.

"It's not your fault," Terra mumbles. "I mean, I'm the one who fell–"

He looks up to meet her eyes and is immediately startle by the tears pooling around them.

"Wha – stop!" He panics. "Stop crying! S-stop crying… _please_ …!"

Aqua isn't even aware of it. She touches her face, smearing the tears trailing down, and responds with equal shock.

"O-oh," she sniffs, "sorry…"

She swipes at her face. Terra has good enough manners to throw some tissues her way, which she catches effortlessly. Through the tears, she can make out Terra's worried expression.

"Hey," he whispers, "are you…are you okay?"

"Yeah…" She blinks back the tears fiercely. "I-I don't know – _why_ …"

Aqua can't find the reasons for the tears, even after they stop falling. Terra eases up a bit as her face dries, before speaking again.

"Why…" Terra tilts his head to look at the ceiling. "Do you really need…a reason to care about the things that matter?"

They turn to look at his bandaged ankle.

"It was dumb of me to run and fall like that," he says, low to the point she nearly couldn't hear it. "But…well, you were pretty fast."

He admits this with a crooked smile. Sheepishly, just enough to almost be an apology. But whether it is meant to be one or not, it's the first she's ever gotten from him.

"Thanks," she says, once she finds her voice.

Because it's late, and they need dire rest, she leaves him be.

* * *

It takes a couple of days, but once Terra's ankle heals and both children finish their punishment, Terra takes her to see his project in the woods. It's a few yards away from the creek bed the Master had shown them weeks ago, the very place Aqua had yearned to explore deeper into. Here is where Terra has stationed his secret place; a bed of flowers and vegetables growing in tilted soil, protected by sturdy planks of lumber that makes a fence. The burlap sacks he had received from Eraqus reveal themselves to be seed packs and fertilizers.

They are surrounded by towering tall pines, oaks and evergreens. However, even with this amount of seclusion, the sun makes its way through, shining past the leaves to cast streams of gold that tickles their hair, their shoulders, their feet. The air is sweeter here, in this small space, and she can hear the songs on birds much clearer.

Terra peers at her to the side, rubbing his neck. She gives him a tentative smile.

His eyes flicker at her expression. His arm drops, and the break from his face, as if something is stirring up inside him, clenches at her. He returns her smile in full.

That's when Aqua sees it, from where he stood – the first dandelion of the year, and she knows; spring has come at last.


	6. CH 5, The Master's teachings

**CH 5: Master's Teachings**

The worlds' order

It's Terra's idea to stay at the secret garden post practice, a proposal he asks her about one morning after his invitation to that very spot. Spring brings forth clear skies and fair weather, enough that it would be shameful to stay cooped up in the castle rather than outside. Flowers are blooming in earnest, and there is a certain cheer that accompanies the growing warmth.

Aqua is apprehensive to say yes at first. She can still envision the glowing eyes amidst the darkness of the night, feel the dread that slithers into her senses from the unknown.

"It'll be fine," Terra says. "We're not too far from the plains, and we can always go before sundown. Just follow me."

He adds on how he needs help tending to various vegetables – rows of carrots, cabbages, leeks and peas – or so he says; Aqua finds out that very afternoon it's not so much her help he desires, but rather, her company as he works. Keen to be friends, she agrees and helps him carry off books to study during the daylight. They go about silently in preparation for their next lesson (which has unfortunately hit a dull topic of theoretical changes brought by magic at a subatomic level) – at least until they cannot stand it anymore, prompting Aqua to read aloud from a big book of stories instead.

This particular tale is a grand one, about rogue pirates and the untold riches stowed in a far-off place, a famed planet buried with treasures. In no time at all, Aqua reaches the last page.

"…when he looks up, he sees the gleam of the stars, twinkling above like the very eyes of that rogue who took off in jubilant laughter…"

Terra yawns contently in response as Aqua closes the book. Having watered and fertilized the crops, he carefully puts aside his whittling work, and lays down, disappearing within the groves of pansies and yellow trilliums. She can't blame him; today's a very lazy day, the sun welcoming them to doze on the smooth, tepid grass.

The block of wood he's been working away with is taking shape, but there are no discerning features about it yet. Aqua wants to ask, but she has a feeling that their friendship is still in its early, fragile stage. Much like a dandelion, she has to treat it with upmost care. She settles with pulling up another book she's seen him reading last night, handing it over.

"Why are you giving it to me?" he asks.

"I thought we were taking turns."

"Oh. Well…" A strange expression clouds Terra's face. "Wouldn't I be spoiling it for you?"

"I don't mind," Aqua says. She presses the novel to him once more.

Terra looks taken back at the book she hands to him. He passes it to and fro, as if he's unsure of how to even open it.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he affirms quickly. His left hand twitches as his finger glosses over the title of the book. "Anyway…"

Even as his opens the cover, flipping to the bookmark page, he makes no attempt to read the text aloud. Terra coughs before starting in a slow drawl.

"Erm, okay…the…the creepers of the grates were startled to find someone already there…"

Aqua looks over his shoulders to read alongside him.

"Terra?" She frowns. "It's says keeper of the gates."

"Right," Terra mumbles, before flushing red. He squints at the page again, hesitating a beat too long.

"Once the men saw that this stranger was no one else but the prince, they…ray-rep-"

"Rejoice," Aqua says helpfully, then immediately wishes she hasn't.

Terra stares hard at the words. Finding that she is right, he carefully reads the rest of the passage. Even though it isn't particularly hard, Aqua could see the relief that passes over him – that is, until he fumbles another word. She doesn't make another attempt to correct, but he pauses, knowing what he just spoke makes no sense with the context of it all. Terra shuts the book hastily, and Aqua fears that an invisible wall, one she thought they had overcome, is starting to thicken once more.

"You can laugh if you want," he mumbles.

"Er," she says, perhaps too quickly, "about what?"

Terra looks as if he bit into bitter melon.

"About the fact that I can't read," he begins hotly. "Read right, I mean. I can't do it as well as you.

He begins to thrust the book back to her, but thinking better of it, sighs and places it in her hand a touch gentler than originally intended. Clearly, he doesn't want to be the one to break the peace between them either, and it gives her hope – just a little.

"It's okay. Plenty of kids in Radiant Garden mix up their words too," she assures him. "It takes practice, that's all."

Terra nods slowly at this.

"I know. It's just–" He sighs. "I can read by myself, most of the time. Not a lot, cause then I get headaches, but I really can read well when nobody's, you know…listening."

His voice gives away to unexpected earnestness at the end, like he's trying to convince her to believe him. Although Aqua does trust him on this, the way it comes out is so unlike the cool, unbothered boy who she knows that it startles her. All she can offer is a lame "sure," which does little to reconcile him.

"I believe you," she states in a hurry. "I won't make fun of you for it, I promise."

Terra stops fiddling with the grass.

"But you can, you know. Everybody else did anyway."

Aqua edges closer at this. His voice has dropped so much it's hard to catch what he's saying.

"Who do you mean?"

Terra wets his lips, opening his mouth to give a proper explanation, but then clams it shut before turning away. A bell goes off in Aqua's head – of course, Master Eraqus had mentioned, the falling of Terra's home. Whoever he's thinking about is most likely long gone. Her mouth goes dry, and she is racking her brains to say something to save the little pleasantness left.

"Nobody made fun of anybody in the orphanage for not reading well. Otherwise we'll get in trouble. Besides, I don't want to do that either way," Aqua declares. "We're friends, right?"

It feels a bit silly to declare something as simple as that, but at this point Aqua couldn't be sure. They have stopped fighting, but the hesitation she senses before Terra confirms that yes, they are indeed friends, is enough to prove there's still more work to be done on that. Trying not to dwell on this small unhappiness, she offers to read the book from the beginning, which cheers him up considerably – she unravels the story with poise and is clearly appreciative of all the right parts that when they get ready to retreat back to the castle, their spirits are as light as when they first start out.

"Thanks for…you know…" Terra says, rubbing the back of his neck. Keeping his promise, the sun is casting the last of its rays before dipping behind the mountains as they edge out of the meadow.

"S'okay," she nods. "I've read to the younger kids before because the misses told me to – so I got a lot of practice out of it. If you want I can help you, um, read smoother."

"Really?" Then, perhaps ashamed he sounds so eager, Terra clears his throat and walks quicker to the castle's entrance.

"Really," she says, catching up to him.

He slows down some before they reach the dining hall. Maybe he's thinking of how to properly respond to this unexpected help, but being unable to fully express his gratitude, Terra is left giving her a sheepish grin.

"Same time tomorrow?"

Aqua doesn't hesitate, and a definite "yeah" leaves her mouth before she even realizes.

* * *

Things become exceptionally better as friends. By the time they hang around the garden for the fifth time, the hours seem to chip away until dusk settles, and they continue their companionship well past what is expected.

In exchange for Aqua's help reading, Terra suggests that they work together on techniques, during which he readily gives Aqua pointers on how to utilize the sides of her wooden sword better. She tries to copy his style of fighting, and quickly discovers she can't match his strength. However, Terra does not scoff anymore, and makes genuine attempts to help her improve her sparring. With the sudden increase in productivity, there's ample time to relax afterwards. They grow careless of their company, with midday chores made fun as they begin talking about everything, and yet nothing in particular. It slows down their progress of course, and sometimes Master Eraqus will give them a stern reminder to finish up their duties.

Aqua knows the Master isn't really mad; he's probably more relieved they can find a friend in each other. Still, it doesn't stop him from rebuking them when they grow lax on their lessons, and without the fiery competition they once had, Aqua notes how she and Terra face a different problem now – instead of quizzes and the like she's known in Radiant Garden, Master Eraqus makes it a habit to test them by popping the occasional question, sometimes aimed directly at Terra and his glassy face.

This happens during one particular lesson, when they are moving on from the collective history of the Age of Fairytales to the wider range cultures of that could be found from world to world. As established hierarchies of multiple worlds are being explored, Aqua can't help but feel sorry for Terra, as he blinks in alarm at the question.

"Yes Master?" he asks, snapping to.

Eraqus is not amused.

"I am asking you, Terra, exactly what importance a royal family – say from a place like Enchanted Dominion – serves in regard to the entrance of outsiders."

"Er," Terra intones, as Eraqus raises a questioning brow, "I-I don't know, sir."

Eraqus stares hard at Terra, enough so that even Aqua, who sits on the Master's opposite side, rights herself to be as straight as an arrow. Once properly ensuring Terra's attention, the Master proceeds to explain how the royal family bears the honor of knowing more than their subjects about the history and hearts of worlds, thus carry the responsibilities of enforcing the protection of their world's order.

"If nothing else," Eraqus says, "remember this – it is crucial that we serve not just as warriors of the Light, but as peacekeepers. We are free to tread on any world in existence, but they are not ours to claim over. When we enter each world, we are considered outsiders and must obey the rules of inhabitants.

"In fact, some worlds are not entirely welcoming of Keybearers. It may be due to caution, fear, or perhaps rash assumptions of us. They know the Keyblade holds power, but they also know the terrible dangers it beckons. Even in this era of peace, the remnants of what happened a century ago, and the splitting of the world is retold, maybe more accurately on some worlds than others."

Aqua stops twiddling with the grass on her side. It has never occurred to her exactly how many rules there are in order to keep all the worlds safe. How to gauge, how to remain discreet, how go about getting an audience with those empower, and then, how to act when you finally do – the Master goes through it all.

Terra starts to drift off again, his expression slightly unfocused. Even she begins to feel the boring rigidness of Master Eraqus' explanation about surveying from a distance, like learning the rules of the world before blending in and prodding exactly how much the inhabitants know. The lecture goes on without anything notable aside from further mentions of Enchanted Dominion, specifically about the unusual abundance of Light from the rumored princess who should be about Aqua's age if the Master remembers correctly. By the time they are dismissed, the Master yanks Terra back to attention, and they are given one final tidbit of "if nothing else, remember this" about the dangers of a dark sorceress who lives in the shadows of that world.

"It's not fair though," Terra muses during their retreat back to the garden. "How come it's always me?"

Aqua bites down her smirk. Truthfully, between the two of them, she's more prone to daydreaming during the lessons, so it's crucial that she gives all the right cues on the right time. Judging the tone of Master Eraqus' voice, his pauses and gestures, she either nods or give the occasional hum.

"You just got to pay more attention."

"Says you," he remarks. Terra, somehow catching exactly how bored she is during their lecture, has agreed to keep it secret, justifying it with "well, I think it's pretty funny too."

Although they both respect the Master a lot, nothing stops them from making fun of him every now and then. His hard-earned wisdom, not yet comprehensible, earns them fits of laughter when they study together, as they take every chance to parrot his trademark phrase.

"If nothing else," Aqua says in her most queenly voice, "remember this."

"Ha," Terra snickers. "You sound just like him!"

Encouraged by each other, they continue to share their outrageous impressions, each more exaggerated than the last. Chuckling at their cleverness, they stretch over their toppled books to pore over the thicket that leads deeper into the woods.

"Hey Terra, do you ever wonder what's past those bushes over there?" Aqua points at the direction of the darkening, narrow road.

"More trees," Terra retorts, grinning at her unamused face. "It's true. Take a look."

He gets up to his feet, beckoning her over.

They have to crawl under the small opening of the bushes, as they were too thick to push aside, and the surrounding trees grew too closely for them to walk around. The tunnel is small, but wide enough for them to go through without too much difficulty. When they reach the end, Aqua has to brush some loose leaves from her head.

"Took me a while to make the hole big enough," Terra says, "but see?"

He points at one nearby, and Aqua can see a faint 'T' has been carved on its base. Terra takes the lead once more, and she follows him closely. The path they trend on is slight yet noticeable enough to mark it as well used. They pass by a couple of more trees with Terra's markings, some with wild flowers for company. As they edge deeper, she can hear the growing roars of moving waters.

"Careful, we're right above a cave," Terra informs her as they step over damp ridges of stone. "I got a bad cut from here one time."

Sure enough, peering from the hem of his shorts, she could see a white scar that trails to his calf. Aqua thinks she's finally got an answer to what Terra does when the Master is away. While Master Eraqus has been exploring, Terra has been making his own discoveries right here, on this very corner of the world.

"Wow," she breathes out, once the waterfall comes to view. Even grander is the lake the water spills out to, with more mountains in the distance. "You didn't say anything about this."

"I haven't really been past this point," he says, shrugging. "There's too much water. If we want to go further out, we have to find another road."

The stillness of the lake made it so that the horizon where water and sky meet are indiscernible. They break this illusion by taking turns skipping rocks, Terra a touch proud when his rocks fly out further, at least until Aqua's final stone skips past his mark.

As they make their way back to drier land, a rustle comes from the bush behind them. Aqua drops her stone in a jolt. The noise doesn't bother Terra, and he doesn't even notice her shrinking from behind him. Instead, he holds his arm out, as if greeting an old friend. A deer pops out, and with her, a young fawning. They also do not seem to be troubled by Terra's presence, although they do seem apprehensive to Aqua's.

"Why are you standing all the way over there for?" Terra asks, finally noticing her position. "Come say hello."

"Er," Aqua says, not moving an inch.

Terra laughs softly, and the sound tinkles in the air. "They don't bite, I promise."

Her foot snaps a stray branch as she steps forward. The deer rears back with her ears up, and her child follows suit. Terra has to hold out his hand and soothe them before Aqua could take another step.

"Sorry," she whispers.

Terra takes her shaky hand and moves it, slowly and gently, towards the nose of the deer. The magnificent creature proceeds to sniff, until at last it gives a small tentative lick. Aqua breathes out in relief, her hand still hovering in the air.

"You can pet them now," Terra says, smiling broadly.

She does. Their hair is coarser than she expects, and the fawn is both skittish and desperate for her attention. Aqua treats it much gentler until it proves it's overcome their fears completely. She pets its head carefully, and is rewarded with a deliberate closing of it's large innocuous eyes.

"I did it," she sighs.

"Yep," Terra says proudly. "Now they trust you."

When both mother and child leave, Aqua's hand is licked raw.

Terra and Aqua start their slow trek back to their meadow. On the way, he explains the troubles of having a garden out in the woods. He had to set traps and snares every so often to keep wild animals out, and one day without meaning to, his snare caught hold of a deer lurking nearby. With no resolve to dispose it, Terra freed it, and started making a fence to keep both prey and predators away. Ever since, he's come across various other animals but makes sure to keep to his own territory.

"It's amazing though," Aqua says once they are back in the garden, "with all the things you find here. A whole place to yourself."

"Yeah," Terra nods. He looks at her. "You really think so?"

"You don't?"

Terra gives a noncommittal hum. "It's not that I don't think it's amazing, I do. But being here, all the time makes me, I don't know…see things differently. I guess."

"There's still plenty of things we haven't seen yet," Aqua points out. "We haven't been around the entire world."

Terra considers this, but only briefly.

"Remember when we were learning about the Great Keyblade War from a hundred years ago? The Master said that when Daybreak Town split and all its pieces were left to form a world of its own, this place itself is what's left from the fountain where Master Ava told the dandelions to run."

Aqua nods, finishing the memory. "That's where all the Keyblade wielders gathered, and that's why we have all this Light to protect us."

Terra doesn't seem to be satisfied with this. He looks over all their toppled books, reaching for the one titling Radiant Garden's history.

"I like it here, but I can't help thinking about the chances of me being anywhere else," Terra says. "You're really lucky, since Radiant Garden is huge."

A strange, hungry look crosses his eyes, but when Aqua blinks it's gone. What replaces it is a wistful expression. Carefully mulling over the right words, he utters quietly.

"This world is just…too small."

A younger Terra, trampling around while Master Eraqus is gone crosses her mind. Training, reading, planting and getting hurt before picking himself back up again, alone.

"Sorry," he says quickly. "It's only because we keep talking about worlds, and I haven't been since Master Eraqus took me when I first came here."

"You got to travel with the Master?" she inquires.

"Only once," Terra admits. "It was a long time ago, when we were searching for someone, a friend of his, I think. The place we went to had lots of islands and grew star-shaped fruit. It was just that one time, and I don't think it'll be easy for the Master to take us both before we learn how to summon our Keyblade."

"Have you tried?"

Terra blushes.

"Sometimes, I guess…I don't know. It's hasn't come yet." He looks away, hand on the nape of his neck.

Aqua has an inkling that sometimes may mean more than Terra suggests. She had spent countless hours grasping at thin air in the privacy of her bedroom. The thought that perhaps Terra did too gives her some comfort. Besides, the Master did mention that it takes some time to summon one, and it wasn't so long ago that she came here. She tells him so.

"I've been here longer though," Terra corrects flatly, "and nothing's ever happened."

Here she deflates a little. The same memory echoes Master Eraqus' afterthought – it will still take some time – in some rare cases, even years – for a corporal Keyblade of one's own to emerge…

"I don't get it," Terra finally says. "the Master said I'm strong. I've tried, but no matter what, it won't appear."

"What about getting to know what's close our hearts?" Aqua recalls. "Maybe we need to start there."

Terra shakes his head and mumbles, "I know that my heart is strong. I just wonder if it's strong enough."

He goes quiet, holding his left hand with his right, gingerly studying something Aqua can't see. She considers his contemplation, while also thinking back to how, not long ago, they competed time after time, just to best each other. Frustratingly so, she cannot say that Terra isn't the most driven and unyielding person she knows.

"If it's not already," Aqua says, "it will be."

Here in the grove, speckles of light colors Terra's eyes in a golden hue. He seems puzzled by her declaration, but eventually accepts the support behind it. He gives a rueful smile.

"Thanks. One day when my heart's strong enough," he says, looking to the sky, "I'll go out there and see everything. Just like the Master."

The wind sweeps by them, shaking the trees and whipping their hair. When Aqua opens her eyes again, she finds Terra's has returned to their startling blue.

* * *

Every day since then, Terra and Aqua would edge just a bit further out around the lake, paving away a new path. They always have to stop before dark, so not much could be said about their progress on making it to the mountains on the other side. Regardless, they have fun hopping over stumps and walking over fallen logs. Terra insists they now carve 'T & A' over any noticeable landmark, and even hands her one of his special whittling knives to do so. Bolden by his sureness, Aqua begins to walk in stride with him. Once their day adventures are done, when night falls they take a trip to different worlds, with the help of books and the dim glow of a single lantern they share between each other.

Spring yields plenty of crops and sweet apricots, which Master Eraqus makes into pies once a week. Although both Terra and Aqua offer to help, neither has talent when it comes to cooking, and so under the Master's orders they dutifully retreat to wash up while he cleans up the now very messy kitchen. As they walk down the halls to use the sink in the small bath, Terra flicks some flour at Aqua, and she retaliates by smearing apricot juice on his chin.

"You got it in my hair," she grumbles, trying to swipe it clean.

"Yeah well," Terra smirks, thumbing the juice and licking it away, "you should've gotten it on mine."

And she would have too, if he didn't back up so fast and started running down the hall. They collided by the foot of the door to the bathroom in fits of giggles as they struggled, Aqua trying to reach over him and Terra grasping at both her wrist.

"Stay – still–" she grunts, aiming for his parted bangs. Terra's still physically stronger, but he looks surprised by her growth in strength.

"Okay," he laughs. "Okay! You win! Lemme go."

Cleaning up proves to be even more challenging as their fight does not subside. Terra flicks water at her, and she aims the sink's faucet squarely to his face.

"Aqua!" he cries, but her name is garbled by the water, which spills out and dribbles down his chin.

"What?" she says, a bit too innocently. "You're clean now."

They step back out the hall, the closet-size infirmary right across from them. As Aqua turns to go, she does a double take when a glint from something at the far corner flashes her. Now that it's daylight, she could see a reflective handle attached to an even smaller door that's right next to them. Perhaps that night she took Terra to the medic room she was so fearful that she didn't notice it before, but somehow that doesn't seem to be the case. The door is narrow and pale, nearly blending with the wall.

"Terra, what's that room over there?"

The boy pivots to track the direction of her pointing finger.

"Oh. That." Terra stares uneasily at the door. "It's an old room. I think it used to belong to someone, but Master Eraqus said they left a long time ago. It's not important – we should head back."

There's something about it, and the way Terra is fidgeting, resolutely trying to steer them away that has her curious.

"Have you been inside?"

"Yeah, when I first got here," Terra confesses, but then twitches his eyebrow in annoyance. "And come on, stop doing that."

"Sorry," she says. As much as she knows how Terra doesn't like it when she reads him, sometimes she can't help it. "I just want to check it out."

"Aqua–" Terra starts, but she has already opened the door and slipped in. He follows with less enthusiasm.

The first thing that hits her is the smell – that of stale dryness, which effectively hovers over a second, less prominent odor. It's musky yet sterile, kind of like a hospital room, purposely scented clean. Aqua wrinkles her nose.

Dust looms heavily in this place, even more so than the treasure room. A thin sliver of the evening's dying light makes its way through the curtains, but only just.

Aqua can now tell exactly why Terra is so uncomfortable here – whereas the treasure room may be filled with discarded items of other people, rich with sentimentality and hopes from each individual, this bedroom gives no tragic imprint.

Instead, what is left behind brings up more questions than answers. Littered on the floor are loose pieces of crumple notes, pairs of thin rubber gloves, and alarmingly curious, a dull scalpel. Picking up and unraveling a note, she sees it's a page detailing the human anatomy, specifically, the heart.

There's a low ticking coming from a metronome on top of a shelf over the bed. Lined up against it were several hourglasses, in which each grain of sand within has already reached the bottom. Still, the metronome ticks away, marching along with time with or without its owner.

Certainly, someone has slept and used this room before, but Aqua can't tell what sort of person they were – it's as if they tried erasing their own presence completely.

"What is all this?" she whispers.

She traces the parchment of notes tacked up against the wall, the writing too frantic and faded for her to read. There is a bold circling on a certain key aspect. Who made it was so excited about what they discovered that their pen, tracing the circle over and over, has left a slight tear on the paper.

"I don't know," Terra replies. "Whoever was here really likes writing their own discoveries though. I think they might had been a Seeker – half of this stuff is about Kingdom Hearts."

Eyeing the circled scribble, Aqua can make the words out now, and it does indeed say that. Terra edges himself away from a stack of books by the foot of the bed. When she turns to face him, a table with beakers and flasks, set right in the middle of the room, obscures her vision of him. With such an angle, she sees the whole of Terra's body through the glass of a small test tube.

The tube, having been cleared from substance, isn't exactly clean. She sees stains of inky blackness pooled at the bottom, from the same glass Terra seems to be encased in.

Touching the glass, she finds it's as cold, if not colder, that the rest of the room. She feels a prickle on her neck, but when she turns around, the only thing she sees is the empty sockets of an intricate goat mask.

"Hey," Terra's reflection says, "let's go."

Aqua tilts her head up to see Terra beckoning her over.

She feels like how he looks – Terra's back is aligned to the wall, as if he doesn't want anything to sneak up from behind him. Although nobody else is in the room with them, Aqua can't shake the feeling of being watched, and she's becoming keenly aware of the now insistent ticking of the metronome, which might be growing louder with each swing unless her ears were deceiving her.

Careful not to knock into anything, as well as show her hastiness, she joins him out in the hall. She clicks the door shut from behind her.

"That was…" she pauses, not sure what to say.

"…Interesting," Terra finishes.

That wasn't the word she would use to describe it. The room, in her opinion, is hauntingly mysterious. Someone was tinkering with something, wildly uncovering a secret only to take it with them when they left. Still, Terra isn't wrong – the whole thing is interesting in its own way. Putting it in such an innocent perspective is impossible, however, and the rising goosebumps from their arms proves it.

Wordlessly, they both speed down the corridors trying their best to shake off this uneasiness without really showing it.

* * *

Back in the kitchen the pie is almost done baking. The sweet aroma wafts into their noses, and the Master welcomes them back to a pristine kitchen.

"You two certainly took your time," the Master notes. He wipes his hand clean from the last of the mess.

"Sorry Master," Aqua says. "We got distracted."

"Oh?" Master Eraqus raises a brow. "If nothing else, remember to keep the mess at a minimum next time. I would appreciate both my helpers to aid more and wreck less havoc if they insist on assisting."

Terra and Aqua dare not to even look at each other. She's fairly certain that the cough that came from Terra is to hide his snicker. She had to bite down her lip to hold in her smile.

"Yes Master," they both say.

Pulling out a chair, they three of them sit down to enjoy the rest of the evening's ray and the sweetness of the apricot pie. Master Eraqus drinks his tea. Aqua talks about the candy she gets after dinner sometimes in Radiant Garden. Terra finishes his slice of pie, swiftly cutting himself a second piece just as Aqua is still on her first. The clinking of silverware swallows up whatever pauses in between.

Here, the warmth of spring reaches them so strongly that Aqua forget the chills of the mysterious bedroom altogether.


	7. CH 6, In Your Own Way

**CH 5: In Your Own Way**

A deep power still slumbers

The balmy heat makes its way to them so subtly that Aqua only just notices when it becomes too warm to wear anything other than t-shirts, leading to a darkening of the color of her forearms. The sun reflects brightly on the blade she novicey holds. It blinds her eyes and before she knows it, she's gone and pricked her finger.

"Ow!"

Terra looks up and frowns.

"Again?" he asks, almost amused. "That's got to be the fifth time already."

Nevertheless, Terra edges closer to wrap that fifth bandage on her thumb. In between times of their daily chores and practices, he teaches Aqua to whittle wood here and there. Unfortunately, she hasn't got his nimbleness or his bravery when handling a knife, so usually after producing nothing more than shapeless lumps, Aqua will settle in to watch his dexterous fingers coax the wood to take shape, sometimes a spoon or a boomerang or a pipe – simple things that can be used.

However, today Terra doesn't seem to be in a sharing mood. Deliberately turning his back to her, he has kept his work secret from the start. Even now as he's tending her cut, his body shields the project behind him.

She makes to move around him, but Terra is quicker; he practically flings an old towel to drape over it in time.

"It's not finished," he replies hastily.

"Come on Terra," she pouts. "Let me see?"

Terra looks away from her hard stare.

"I wonder when the Master will be back," he says, brushing away her question. "I think he mentioned something about going to Radiant Garden. But I guess that makes sense if he's restocking on potions."

Aqua eases away from his face, suddenly remembering.

"That's right," she says, feeling her stomach do a nervous flop. "The test."

Master Eraqus, having watched them develop together since Aqua's arrival had announced a test for them a month ago. It was time, he reasons, that they show him the results of their joined training.

"This test is not only to gauge your separate growth," he says. "In equal measure, it is to test your ability to formulate a plan together and work off each other's strengths."

The rules are simple; the test will last from morning to noon, during which time the two children are challenged to land at least one strike on him before the sun dips below the mountains. Any and all resources can be used, and they have no limits as to where they could go.

The moment the test was announced, Terra had been nothing but enthusiastic, making plans and rattling off battle tactics with Aqua. Under his declaration, it was decided that he should be the offensive lead of the pair, and Aqua readily agreed. It leaves her to help cover their defense by being the lookout and equipping the potions.

"How many do you think we'll need?" she asks, grimacing at the thought.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Terra slipping the towel wrapped wood into the hollow tree trunk he probably thinks she doesn't know about.

"Not sure," he shrugs. "But however many the Master brings back, we have to ration. He won't go easy on us, not this time around."

"Okay," she nods. Then she watches as Terra's face begins to relax. "You're still not going to show me what you were doing, huh?"

He coughs uncomfortably.

"Anyway, it's settled then," Terra mumbles, "since I've actually had more experience fighting, you ought to stay close behind."

She crosses her arms. "I've been training too, you know. And I've known fights from Radiant Garden."

Terra pauses at that.

"Fights in the famed City of Light?" He looks at her incredulously.

"Yeah. One actually happened during the harvest festival last year," she says. Terra's still unconvinced, so she plows on. "We were allowed to go around town for the attractions and play games, so a few others and I went by to the fountain court – to wait for the fireworks that night. And that's when we saw Shades and his gang."

Terra notes her frown. "Who?"

"They're the inner-city kids." Aqua explains. "Their families have big houses in castle town, and they get to go to the district's nicer school. They like to run around and 'protect' Radiant Garden, but…well, they're so mean sometimes…like, telling us to stay in the aqueducts, or – or go back to the sewers where we belong.

"That day they followed us there, I'm sure of it. They scared off the little kids into giving them candies – every single piece we earned from the fair. If we wanted them back, we had to fight for them. So…we fought – and some of us were hurt pretty badly."

Terra is thoroughly intrigued now. "And?"

"We won," Aqua says proudly. "But we had some explaining to do when we got back home. The misses and headmaster yanked me aside because I was the youngest, and I guess…more likely to tell the truth? I don't know. Anyway…

"When I got to the office, they kept asking me questions, like where we went, who we saw, and how'd we get our clothes all dirty. I think I said…that we were looking for more games to play, and that we got a bit carried away hiding the candies for the little kids to find. They pressed, but that's what I ended up telling them. Plus, the city kids never said anything about the whole incident either, maybe because they didn't want to admit they lost to us, so…"

Aqua shrugs.

"I think I said all the right things."

"Some children of light," Terra mumbles, smirking a little. "Doesn't sound too heroic."

"Maybe not," Aqua says a bit defensively, "but the city elders always said that children had a duty to keep the light, not spread darkness."

"You fought?" Terra chuckles, amazed. "You don't seem like the type."

"Er, well I didn't…" Aqua answers quietly. "They don't pick on girls. I just kind of saw what happened."

"Then that doesn't count." Terra shakes his head. "It'll be different if you were in on it too, but you just witnessed it. That's not fighting."

"No…" Aqua responds slowly. "I guess it isn't."

Terra leans back a little at that. "So yeah, I should be offense."

"It's different now," Aqua says as she regains her reasoning. "I know how to fight if I need to."

Terra hums thoughtfully at that, but she suspects he doesn't believe it.

"Okay, but what I really want to know is, I mean…if you could go back in time, and do it differently, would you?"

His eyes have a strange sort of focus to them. Aqua wavers a bit at that.

"Oh. Yeah," she agrees, even though she's sure she would not.

It's times like these that being friends with Terra is tricky. The questions he would ask seem to hold a weighty integrity at times, and she can't help but think of the sureness in which he carries himself.

But that's the thing about him, something she's known from the start – Aqua nods half-heartedly as he continues on, watching his features and deciding that of course, a brooding Terra is far more intimidating in a fight than she is. He's headstrong like that, and that's what she likes about him. It never occurred to her that he's expecting the same amount of courage from her, at least until now.

"…Aqua?"

She snaps to at Terra's nearing face. "Yeah?"

"You had a…never mind." Terra does a funny squint. "Do you ever miss it? Being in Radiant Garden with everyone."

"Sometimes I get homesick," she admits. "But everyone is counting on me, since I am the one who got to go to the outside world."

"Sort of like a promise," Terra says.

Aqua tilts her head. "Yeah. Sort of."

This trick of taking her mind off the secret he stashed in the base of the hallow tree trunk works fairly well, at least for a little while. He catches her peeking around him absent-mindedly and decides that it's about time they start their morning training, during which he shows off three new move sets he's been working on and promises to teach her later.

* * *

The Master comes back to meet them at night in the throne room, where they are playing a round of chess.

"Welcome back Master," Terra calls out, which Aqua echoes shortly after.

Master Eraqus gives a nod of acknowledgement as he observes their game offhandedly.

It's quiet, aside from the six flasks of potion he sets aside for their upcoming test. Aqua gulps at the sight; they never had to use a lot of potion, much less a flask worth during their daily training sessions. Before she could think about it too much, Master Eraqus turns to Terra.

"Terra, although it was rather different from your usual request from the market, I got what you asked for."

The Master hands over the rest of the content, and after a moment of inspection, Terra throws a smirk at Aqua, one which she returns. He places the sack nearer to him as they resume playing.

"Master, about the test," Terra says while moving his pawn, "are you coming at us with your Keyblade?"

"No, no. That would be much too dangerous," Master Eraqus assures. "I will be armed, but as always, it will be to evenly match your weapons. A Keyblade spar is reserved only until you can conjure your own, my boy."

Aqua sighs a little through her nose. Yet rather than quell Terra's question it only serves to ignite his curiosity.

"But _when will it happen sir_? When is the right time?"

Aqua gives a little peek from the chess board to survey the Master.

"Now, understand that it is difficult to summon one at an early age," Master Eraqus says, eyeing them both intently. "I wasn't able to until I was fifteen or so."

Terra captures her last rook, leaning back contently at the small victory before addressing the Master again. "What about what you said? About us having brightness. Does it mean something?"

"That, you do." The Master nods. "Children are the foundation of every world, as they hold the most light – perhaps because of their innocence. As such, it is only natural that every child has the potential to wield the Keyblade."

"So, it's not just us?" Aqua asks, frowning. Without her rooks, it's harder to move around.

He nods at this, which only manages to trouble her even more.

"Remember, in the Age of Fairytales, it actually was not uncommon to have hundreds of Keyblade wielders collecting lux. The truth is, it is easy to pass on the power, and potential within anyone is abundant. What's hard is the level of control the user exhibits to keep onto their light."

Aqua bites down on her lip, examining the board. Terra's face, although concentrated, is more relaxed and confident. She looks downward. After a moment, she moves her bishop forward. With any luck, he won't know what she's up to until it's too late.

Terra's eyes brighten the instant her hand leaves the piece.

"Checkmate," he announces triumphantly, tapping his knight in place with flourish.

Aqua blinks. "W-what?"

Indeed, upon closer inspection, she can see there's no way out. Master Eraqus nods over her shoulder at a game well played.

"Very nice Terra," Master Eraqus says. "How about a game against me?"

"Er, maybe some other time Master," Terra replies hastily. His smile doesn't drop though.

The Master chuckles. Aqua has a feeling that this is far from the first time Master Eraqus has offered a game, and maybe after so many losses Terra has grown sharp to it. They put away the pieces and hop off the window ledge.

"For the Keyblade to be unlocked the true meaning of each individual's light must be understood," the Master says, as if their conversation was never interrupted. "Although I don't expect that to come to the two of you just yet, I wouldn't be averse to finding my protégés surpassing me either. Continue to work hard, understand?"

"Yes sir," they say before departing for the night.

Terra yawns widely as they climb the staircase to their wing.

"You know, that stuff that the Master said…about knowing what our light is – I don't really know if I get it," he admits.

"He did say it'll take a while for us to understand."

"I know what the Master said, but…" Terra stops at the top of the staircase.

"If all we're ever going to do is wait for things to come, then what's the point? I think…to become worthy of the Keyblade, we have to start somewhere. No matter what he says, I'm going to figure it out – way before when he expects me to, even."

"Is it really that important to?" Aqua asks, looking up.

"That's what makes us different from all the others," Terra states. "Suppose we never ended up here. We would just be waiting for answers like we're doing now. The thing is, it doesn't have to be that way. It's all here…the things we need to start our journey. We just have to be quick enough to grab it."

"You thought about this a lot, huh," she says quietly.

Aqua thinks back to the morning and now, knowing what Master Eraqus has just confirmed – after all this time, it could have been just as easy that someone else, braver and stronger, could have taken her place, someone Terra has no doubt in being his equal. She feels an unpleasant clench in her middle.

"Do you really think we're that different?" Aqua bites her lip. "The Master did just say every kid has the potential to be a Keyblade wielder. Out of everyone in Radiant Garden, I get to be here, but it makes me think…what if I wasn't chosen? If anyone else showed just as much light, or – or promise, would they have instead?"

Her eyes flicker back up to Terra, who seems nonplused by her speech. Suddenly she's embarrassed at having rambled on.

"I mean, have you ever wondered why?" she offers meekly.

Almost instantaneously, he pulls an answer out.

"…There's no need for that. After all, the Master," Terra continues, putting a hand over his chest, "chose me."

At the sight of his confidence, Aqua feels something take over. The tightness in her stomach loosens a bit. Aqua gives a wan smile.

"Oh. That's right," she says.

He returns her expression, although she sees a spot of doubt at their conversation being glossed over so quickly. They reach her bedroom first and share their usual bids of goodnight before Terra stumbles away to his own room. She closes her door with a resounding click. As she turns around, the mirror that Master Eraqus placed in the room greets her with a reflection of troubled face. She places a hand on top of the smooth service and stares back.

"Something is seriously wrong with me today…"

Aqua grimaces as the muddy thoughts swirls around before taking shape.

 _Enough that Terra saw it too._

It's not like he mentioned it…

 _He just didn't want to say anything, like about what you said this morning._

If I didn't tell the truth, he would have gotten the wrong idea.

 _But now he thinks you're a chicken._

Not everyone is brave.

 _He is, and that's probably why he was chosen._

I was chosen too, she thinks sharply, but then admits with less gusto, not certain for what reason.

 _Well_ , her other voice says resolutely, _Terra must know something you don't…_

She climbs onto bed and for the first time, turns away from the view of the stars outside as she pulls the blanket firmly over her head.

* * *

In the days that follow, one early morning breakfast becomes an uncharacteristically clamorous affair. Normally small idle chatter is allowed as Master Eraqus prefers their meals to be mostly silent, so they can better enjoy their food. However, today marks a turning point that simply cannot be ignored.

"There's no way," Aqua says, frowning at this new development.

"Check it out yourself," Terra counters, clearly pleased.

To settle this small debate, Master Eraqus gestures for the two of them to turn, back to back, before pressing Terra's unruly hair flat. Under his careful scrutiny, he measures their height comparison.

"Well this is interesting," Master Eraqus mumbles. "Terra's gotten taller…I daresay he's passed your height and has a clear inch over you, Aqua."

The children turn once more to face one another. For the first time since the beginning, Aqua becomes aware of how she has to adjust her eye level to see Terra clearly. No doubt coming to that same conclusion, Terra can't seem more gratified than this moment. It doesn't matter that he isn't smiling – rather, she can almost feel his satisfaction, and evidently, the Master could too.

"Now Terra, I didn't actually think this day would come…to know that you are finally growing at the age of fourteen to match the height of twelve does soothe my heart, if just a little."

Aqua bursts out in laughter, before remembering herself and muffling the noise. Only slightly taken back by the comment, Terra shrugs it off rather amiably.

"Yeah well," Terra says while spearing his sausage and eggs, "this is only the start. I think in a couple of years, I'll outgrow even you, Master."

The Master chuckles. "I certainly hope so – time is on your side. But…if I were to bet, I would say that Aqua still has more of a chance at that than you, my boy."

Aqua looks up from the glass of milk, begrudgingly soaking up the fact that he is now taller than her.

"I don't know, sir. Terra is older, though."

The boy, appreciative of her attention, grins at this.

"Guess I have more of a chance than you think, Master."

"Ah, maybe so," Master Eraqus agrees, and his voice takes on a more thoughtful tone while eyeing Aqua.

After a quick clean up and review of the past week's lesson, the two children gear up for their daily practice. Terra has been helping her learn some move sets he's seen in their textbook, which he swears are the very same that Foreteller Aced has used before. The long hours of training have yield mix results for him and even less for her.

They circle around each other, matching heavy blows until Terra lands a hit.

 _Whamp!_

The stun strike leaves Aqua dizzy, and in her haste to retaliate she trips and falls over. Her wooden sword skitters across the ground and out of her reach.

"Hm." Terra scratches the back of his head, looking doubtful. "Let's try that again."

Aqua dusts off the dirt from her chin. With a great heave from her sword, she swings it down in a wide arc. Terra side steps it easily and shows her how it's done. The way he moves is effortless, and he outdoes her at the very technique she's been trying to replicate.

"Your hits are kind of…weak," he says apologetically. "Erm, I don't know how else to put it."

Aqua sucks in a large breath, flinching as Terra applies a dab of alcohol on the open gash that decorates her forearm. He presses on the wound for a bit before wrapping it with some bandages from the infirmary. It's been a while since she's gotten hurt like this – normally, Terra holds back on his attacks when they fight, but Master Eraqus caught wind of it and told them that was no good.

"The more difficult the trial, the quicker we improve," the Master chides lightly. "And it wouldn't be fair to Terra if he has to limit himself every time. You can only try and do your best, Aqua."

Many days have passed by with no real significant improvement other than the initial one she first experienced when she began sword fighting. Try as she might, she can't get a hold of Terra's fighting style, no matter how he tries to explain or how much practice she puts in. Her hits are too shallow, and she can't get used to Terra's wide stances or swings.

"Fall back a little – no, not that far back…grip your sword like this…ah, see you're holding on too tight…"

Terra's tips, meant to be helpful, doesn't do a whole lot – after all, how can someone explain what comes so naturally to them? The Master has taken to observing them from afar, and later doling out critiques. Aqua is given endless analysis, while Terra receives nearly none. It's a perfect reflection to their physical state; more often or not, he comes out of battle unscathed, and she a littered patch of bruises and bumps that takes days to heal.

Today is yet another loss for her. She's lost count after thirty battles, and the stale victory has left a dry taste in Terra's mouth. Aqua can feel his impatience, even if he tries to deny it. Their differences are still as clear as day and night, and she finds herself wanting Terra to just admit outright that he wishes he had a better sparring partner.

"There, that should do it," Terra grunts. He reaches out to help her up.

"Thanks," Aqua mumbles as she takes his clammy hand with her own.

Master Eraqus strides forward from where he sat watching. Aqua wipes the sweat dripping down her chin as he begins listing things they have to work on. As usual, Terra has a few areas in which he can develop further, but otherwise he's given the Master's nod of approval. When Master Eraqus turns to face her, Aqua gives an involuntary wince.

"My dear, I would like to give you a word of advice as well," the Master says. He gives a pointed nod to Terra. "Alone, please."

The children look at each other, and then back to the Master. Terra raises a questioning brow but dutifully bows and trots off to the direction of the castle.

"Aqua," Master Eraqus begins to say, while she looks sheepishly at the ground.

He pokes her forehead.

"Oh!" She blinks at the offense. "M-master?"

"You've been frowning a lot these days. You'll get wrinkles that way."

"Sorry," she says, ducking in shame. "I…don't think I've been doing too great, Master."

"No," he confirms gently, "you haven't."

Aqua feels the heat creeping up her face. She opens her mouth, but realizing she can't defend herself, closes it.

"Do you find yourself aching to go back to Radiant Garden?"

Her face gets redder. "No sir."

Curiously, Master Eraqus looks on amused.

"Very good, that means your resolve is still true. Now…what I mean to say is that you can do better. At one point or another, we all feel the frustrations of being stuck, and I think this is one of those times for you."

He gestures for her to come sit by him near the lily pads. Her brief annoyance dissipates after she sees the hem of his pants had dipped straight into the water, and he is none the wiser amidst his seriousness. She decides not to tell him.

"I was fine before this," Aqua mutters. "I don't know what's happening Master. I'm doing everything Terra's been. So why?"

"It's just as you said," Master Eraqus replies, "you have been doing everything Terra has, and maybe that is the reason."

Aqua scrunches her face in confusion. "But Master, I thought you said the whole point of us sparring together was to learn from each other."

"That I did." Master Eraqus nods. "However, learning itself is difficult when you're not sure exactly what you are supposed to pick up."

"Oh," she sighs glumly. "Then I've been learning the wrong thing."

"Not wrong, per se…I would say that you're in something of a crossroad. Evidently, if what works for Terra does not work for you, will you still follow his example?"

She tilts her head to the side.

"Well, I…what do you mean sir? Isn't Terra's way the right one?"

"How can you be sure?" Master Eraqus states. When she has no answer to that, he continues to say calmly and matter-of-factly, "there is no 'right' way in regard to experience. We are all too different to trend the same path. What you learn from watching Terra isn't wrong – in small amounts, admiration is good – but it is obvious your body is set to move differently from him. Inspiration starts at a single point."

He dips her finger into the surface of the pond. It ripples and expands in tantalizing circles, diverging from its origins.

"To be inspired means to add something more to what gives you that uplifting feeling. Something more only you can offer. If you always stick by Terra's methods without question, you become no more than his shadow. And goodness knows you owe more than that."

"Owe?" Aqua asks. "Owe to who?"

Master Eraqus gives a small smile. Wordlessly, he points down to the pond. The ripples have stopped. The water is once again smooth and glassy, and her eyes meet her own reflection.

"Let's meet here at midnight. We can work something out, perhaps a fighting style more suitable for you," Master Eraqus explains. "After all, the test is near, and I would not want you to fall below the mark at such a crucial time."

Aqua tears her attention away from the pond. "Yes sir. I'll…think about it."

The Master nods and looks over her shoulder. "I've kept you for long enough. How about you go see what Terra's been up to? I'm sure he's waiting. But as you do, keep in mind what we've discussed."

Aqua does a little bow before trotting off. Sure enough, she sees Terra by the meadow, covering the familiar hallow trunk with leaves. He stuffs his hands in his pockets the moment she arrives, and one look from him tells her that he's still not ready to share the secret he's stowaway.

With much preamble, the two shimmy past the bushes to the untamed land on the other side. The heat of the evening sun chases them all over the grounds, peaking over the mountain tops as they make their way across the increasingly less familiar road at the lake's edge. After such a hike, the children have finally broken through to a new area. Terra starts to mark a tree of magnificent size and Aqua watches as he peels off the bark bit by bit for the suppler surface underneath.

"So, what did the Master talk to you about?" Terra throws conversationally over his shoulder.

"Nothing much," Aqua says. "Just techniques and stuff. And what I have to work on."

"He probably kept you for longer because of the test." Terra nods thoughtfully before putting the tiny blade back into his pockets. "Think you're ready for it?"

"Facing against the Master? Uh…" She crosses her arms before lamely concluding, "maybe."

"Well, it is two against one. We might have a chance."

She does a shrug that Terra doesn't see. "But I'm guessing not a very big one."

"If you think so, then just cover for me. As long as we get a hit in before the match ends, we win." Terra jabs a thumb at himself. "I am the offense, right?"

They resume their march forward, and Aqua chews her tongue when she notes the patterns of her feet for the first time, and how they move in place of his fresh prints.

"Say," she blurts before she can stop, "how about I go in as the offensive, and you back me up?"

Terra stops short, as did Aqua so to not bump into him.

"Really?" he asks, blinking owlishly. "But–"

She knows he doesn't mean the utter look of disbelief crossing his face. Nevertheless, she's crestfallen.

"–You don't think I can," she finishes firmly.

"It's not that," he insists. Now Terra looks completely stumped. "Wait…what do you mean? What's going on?"

"If we were to face Master Eraqus together, and you have to cover for me while I attack, do you think we could stand a chance?"

"Uh, I don't know." Terra crosses his arms, mirroring her stance. "Honestly, I think I should do the fighting. I am better at reading his attacks."

"Is winning really that important?" Aqua mumbles. "I just want to try."

"Winning is passing," Terra huffs. Seeing this little bit of weakness is a startling relief; his patience with her is not boundless after all. "We don't have time for this. Why is it such a big deal who does what anyway?"

"If it really doesn't matter then it's okay if I'm offense, right?"

"Well I mean–" Terra splutters, now seeing the trick in her suggestion, "–okay it is a bit of a big deal, but that's why I have to be the offense."

They both stiffen as soon as the words came out, and all that they imply. Terra runs a hand across the back of this neck as Aqua's eyebrow shoots up.

"Then I guess it's the same reason why I have to be the defense."

Taken back by her sour face, Terra heaves a sigh.

"Yeah, it is…but it's not exactly a secret."

"It's not as if you ever gotten a hit in with the Master either," Aqua bites back.

"Maybe not," Terra responds fiercely, "but who's the one who needed lecturing from him?"

Aqua doesn't have anything to say against that. Evidently, Terra knows that too, and that old familiar and infuriatingly smug look plasters itself on his face. Out of words and without nearly enough fire to match Terra's, Aqua spins around and storms off the direction they came from. She hears a surprised "hey, wait! I didn't mean–" from him, but exactly what he means she doesn't want to know. She quickens her pace and leaps over a log from earlier.

She feels Terra's glance from behind, but he makes no move to follow her. A few paces later, it even drops, and she hears him continuing on without her.

How remarkably dumb! The more he walks away from the castle, the more it'll take for the trip back to it. She never understood that about him, which in a way, probably makes her equally as foolish to be following so blindly. She kicks a small pebble lodge in the grass and sighs.

She knows that Terra is brave, and that's why he ventures off so much while she sticks to the road. She's not jealous of that.

Aqua plucks the stone she kicked across the ground. After a moment of inspection, she tosses it across the river bed. After five or so skips, it sinks into the water.

She just wants to stop losing all the time.

* * *

Since the days have gotten warmer, so too, has the nights. She finds the Master's silhouette outside at midnight, like he had promised.

"I had a feeling you would come," he intones as she passes the gate. "I gather that maybe you and Terra might not be seeing eye-to-eye today, however."

Aqua coughs uneasily. "No Master."

Terra had come back to the castle much later than her, probably having gone the rest of the way, or at least whatever grounds he could cover before sunset, without her. His hair was covered with leaves, and he had a few cuts on his fingers. Throughout dinner, he had made multiple attempts to engage with her, all which she had shot down. In one particular instance, Terra said something about a celebration following the upcoming test this week, to which Aqua replies "well it'll only happen if we pass the test, right?"

Terra blinks. "You seriously don't know…?"

How he said it was enough for her to stop talking to him completely, even as he bids her goodnight when they reached her bedroom.

"Let start with some simple strike exercise," the Master announces, breaking up her fuming as well as their stride across the mountain path. "After all, the key to the upcoming test is a good offense."

Aqua rummages the treasure chest by the far corner, pulling on her wooden blade. After a few experimental swings, she approaches the golden hoops as pointed out by Master Eraqus and begins to attack with a wide stance. The hoops vibrate with loud clangs, and after a few seconds the Master gestures for her to stop.

"Let's see…" the Master says. "About ten strikes in thirty seconds. So, a strike for each three seconds. Alright."

Aqua feels a slow beam making its way to her face.

"However, Terra has made around fifteen within the same time frame," he continues. "Meaning he's able to produce more with less time. It may not seem like much, but in the heat of battle, you may find those mere seconds can cost you a great deal."

Again, the scar on Eraqus' face threads its way across her mind.

"O-oh. Right," Aqua mumbles, not even feeling the ghost of her smile.

"It's only natural we strive to mimic who we admire," the Master concludes, giving her a knowing grin. It makes her blush a little. "So?"

"So…?" Aqua repeats, tempting to end it with a what.

"So, what will you do?" the Master prompts, before repeating, "if what works for Terra does not work for you?"

"I…" Aqua thinks back to the pond this morning, and what Master Eraqus had meant by it. "I have to find out how to fight by myself."

"Indeed," Master Eraqus says, "which isn't a hard thing to do with the foundations you've developed from these past few months. The problem is, they lay dormant because you haven't had the chance to channel them properly. Think, has there ever been a moment where you instinctively want to move one way, but your training with Terra has taught you to move another?"

Aqua nods. "But it hasn't been like that for a while. Maybe because I've been sparring with Terra for too long…it feels like I'm getting the hang of it, just a lot slower than him."

"Let's take a break from that," the Master says, thumbing his chin. "In facing a different sort of adversity, it may show itself – your true fighting style. Now that you know the basics, this shouldn't be like last time."

"Last time?" Aqua utters, before the Master picks up a wooden sword of his own. She gulps recalling in full force as he steadies his stance and, a second later, charges swiftly at her.

Aqua barely blocks it in time before shaking the attack off and leaping away. She tries the downward swing technique from Foreteller Aced, only for the Master the break her rhythm before she can lift her blade. She stumbles and almost falls flat on her back.

The Master shakes his head. "Again."

With the same measured speed, he comes at her, and she raises her sword to guard. However, at the very last second, the Master swerves. He hooks the sword neatly behind her legs, and with a smart tug, pulls the ground from under her feet.

"Oof–" Aqua cries as she falls.

"Again," the Master calls out, this time harsher.

It goes on and on until she's short of breath. Each time there's no opening to attack, and the Master easily shatters her defense. It's exactly like the last time, except maybe a bit harder. For every time she falls, the recovery window becomes shorter and shorter.

"As I recall, the director of the orphanage did mention you were part of a junior's gymnastic team in Radiant Garden," Master Eraqus says offhandedly. "Do you still recall the exercises?"

"A-a little," Aqua wheezes, lying flat on the grass. She's starting to miss her cozy bed.

He comes at her just as she stands up. Aqua panics, knowing she won't have time to block. Her mind goes blank, and without really knowing it, without intending to, her body falls into an old rhythm she thought she's forgotten.

Her legs brace the ground momentarily before shifting the weight to her left. Using the momentum, she swings her free hand to the ground, arches her body to roll in time with the natural force, before coming back clean onto her feet. She looks down to see her stance has diverged from Terra's usual one – similar in terms of weapon grip, with a free hand out to steady any oncoming attacks, yet different in terms of wideness in the feet.

"Whoa," Aqua breathes out after getting her bearings.

"Good, it appears that you do." The Master smiles, eyes twinkling. "Now we're getting somewhere."

* * *

The morning after Aqua couldn't really move much during breakfast or taste her cereal through her sleepiness. Terra has to snap her awake when she didn't notice the milk she's pouring almost overflows from her bowl.

"That reminds me, it looks like I'll have to go outside again to restock on some food, preferably before the test. The usual things for you, Terra. And," the Master adds, looking towards Aqua, "what would you like, my dear?"

"Hmm?" Aqua says, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes.

"What would you like from the market," Terra repeats slowly.

"Peaches," she says, frowning at him. Partially because she knows he's not growing them, and partially because she misses the sweetness of her favorite fruit back in Radiant Garden.

Terra shrugs, going back to his bacon, which the Master notes to also get more of. Aqua acknowledges glumly none of it really matters to Terra; their little spat is something she alone is making worse. She eats her cereal, even more sluggish than before.

To give an equal amount of attention to Terra, the Master reasons during the morning session that he will have to give more of less the same personal training Aqua received last night. Terra perks up at this newfound detail but asks nothing of it – maybe because he knows a frosty air still hangs between the two of them.

Aqua is allowed a brief recess as she watches Master Eraqus and Terra spar. The battle is distinctively more intense, at least in how the Master handles Terra – none of the careful swipes and light smacks from the flat of the wooden stick she's received last night. Terra responds in kind and, judging by the way he charges it's obvious that he's not holding back either. Again, the knot in her stomach tightens and she feels like she's lost somewhat, even though this isn't a match between her and Terra.

With a few close calls of Terra nearly being disarmed, the match continues until Master Eraqus brings it to an end with a swift jab at Terra's forehead. The boy is so spent, that it's enough to topple him over.

"A word of advice Terra," the Master says, "don't be so reckless with your attacks. It's almost alarming how you forego any sort of protection to get to me."

Now Aqua could see the nasty nicks and swells that are starting to form on Terra. The Master casts a Curaga spell, which sweeps over the boy with a luminescent blooming flower hanging overhead. The air turns faintly sweet as his wounds close up, the bruises becoming a tender pink instead of angry red.

"I hope you don't plan on exhibiting a strategy like that with the upcoming test," the Master warns. "I won't be holding back like this time."

Terra rubs the mark where the Master had poked him. "Yes sir."

With nightly training scheduled for her, and morning training for Terra, the Master establishes a rhythm that will test their growth individually, while still expecting them to spar together to keep their team balance intact. After dutifully noting this, the two children go about their daily chores before evening lessons.

Although Aqua isn't too keen in making up with Terra, she thought she should try anyway. Halfway into wiping the dust from the left wing's windows, she bumps into him, having started on the opposite side.

"So, about the test–" Aqua says, only to be cut off.

"–You didn't say anything about taking lessons with the Master–" Terra pipes up loudly.

They pause while grimacing at their ill timing.

"–What about the test?" Terra asks hastily.

"–You didn't ask," Aqua asserts, just as quickly.

Terra crosses his arms. "Okay, so what are we talking about?"

"Let's talk strategy," Aqua decides. "We got to figure out a way to beat the Master. We didn't get too far last time with what we plan to do."

"That's only because you stormed off," Terra counters. "I know how I want to handle it, but you went and changed the plan. Now everything is thrown off, and I didn't even know about it until this morning."

"Yeah, well maybe I didn't like your plan from the start," Aqua retorts. "There's no way everything should be decided by you. I want to fight."

"And I want to win," Terra says, shrugging. "I'm not risking team balance for your sake."

"The point of the test is to see our teamwork and how well we work together as partners. Even if we don't pass at least we will be trying our best to improve anyhow." Aqua huffs. "If we win because we do things your way, that doesn't prove anything!"

"If we win that means we're strong enough!" Terra says with equal exasperation. "Our Keyblades might actually come once we've proven our power!"

Aqua does a doubletake on this. She's never really considered this possibility before. Terra says it with such fervor it makes her wonder if it is really true. The Keyblade, something that still eludes them. So, is this really a test of might?

"Say it does come…" Aqua ponders slowly, "…I think it will because of a different kind of strength, and I want to earn that. I'm fighting too."

Terra stares at her until finally dropping his gaze. He scratches the back of his neck. "Do what you want."

She feels her disappointment hang in the air as Terra passes her to continuing dusting the opposite wing.

So, without an exchange of apology like she had planned, the next few days are spent friendless, like an invisible wall has come between them. The Master rotates their private training like clockwork – the day with its brilliance for Terra, the night and its quiet stillness for Aqua. There's no exchanges at all, much less any practice spar; Terra isn't there to meet her at the foregrounds, and usually after a minute of waiting she leaves frustrated.

While he has a point, Aqua could not quell the lapses of anger that seizes her – how he has so little faith in her abilities that he takes it upon himself to conduct what he thinks is a sure-fire way to win. Even though she's working so hard just to catch up to him…

On the stroke of midnight, she hikes over to the summit to see Master Eraqus waiting for her. They start off right where they left off, with Aqua continuing to hone her evasive maneuvers.

"Good, good," Master Eraqus nods, as she begins to read his attacks and dodges accordingly. "Okay, let's change the pace for a moment."

She lands on her feet as her cartwheel comes to a close. "Master?"

"I want you to apply your natural reflex and agility into attacking now. Not as how Terra would – but using your own movements to parry against me. Now, show me your stance and the proper way to hold your sword, and when you are ready, you charge in first."

Finally adapting to her newfound pose, Aqua swings her sword a couple of times to get her bearings. Taking a deep breath, she hitches forward and slides close to Master Eraqus' underside, giving a quick upper strike.

"My," the Master calls out, "this is new. Using your stature to your advantage, striking from below…this is the difference I want to see."

It's hard to get a decent hit in. Although she's traded power for speed, the blows are too shallow. Master Eraqus blocks them all in every turn and forces her back. She skitters to the side, unsure of where to go from here.

"Try what you can't normally in practice. Take this as an opportunity to experiment."

It takes even longer for her to find a good medium. The sways in their blades constantly clashing weakens her arms, which start to feel like jelly. As the Master keeps pushing, Aqua develops a pattern of twirling with her barrages, using the momentum of each thrust to repel him. He seems intrigued by the change in tides and slows down enough to give her a fighting chance at landing a swing.

Pivoting at the spot, Aqua strikes the Master's armor twice as she leaps, almost like dancing at the point of attack.

"I did it!" she clamors, hardly believing her luck. Her sword trembles following her outburst.

The Master looks on, proud in her behalf. "Yes, now you have all the right pieces. All that's left is to polish this technique – train it until your body moves without thinking. That's what Terra did."

The fireflies are out tonight. The Master casts a Curaga on her, and she feels some of the exhaustion leave her body as the translucent flower petals falls and disappear around her. She sits by the edge of the summit with Master Eraqus and studies the stars with him, which takes her back to a similar time, of discomfort and wanting to go back home.

"Master what you said before, about how all children have the ability to wield the Keyblade…is that really true?" she asks quietly.

"More or less," the Master says. "However, just because there is the potential to wield, does not speak to the character of the wielder. You can have thousands upon thousands of wielders, but really, to what end? To be a Keybearer is to give up an ordinary life and face the hardships of all worlds. In time like this, what is needed are those who can survive such prospect and minimize the dangers that can befall on others."

"But then why did you…" Aqua thumbs the small scars on her fingers. "Why did you choose me?"

Certain that Master Eraqus has noted her distress, and is now staring at her, Aqua focuses an unnecessary amount of attention on her hands. She jolts a little when he cups her hand with his own.

"Look here," he says, tracing the subtle roughness of her palms, "we finally match."

Aqua smiles at this. Seeing their hands side by side gives her the very opposite impression – his hands are rougher still, more scarred – but to be told that someday her own work will pay off breaks her out of the lousy mood she's carried for days.

"They told me, your friends did, as well as those who were there to see it – of how you rushed to their aid when things went wrong."

"But I ran in the end," Aqua confesses. "I didn't do anything. I was scared, and when those monsters came at me…I didn't know what to do."

The Master nods at this, unfazed by her secret.

"Were you equally scared before you approached them?"

"Yes," Aqua answers.

"But did you do it anyway?"

"Yes," Aqua repeats, quizzical.

"Being a Keeper of Light requires action like that – the need to protect," the Master says carefully. "I don't expect any child, weaponless no less, to defend everyone in a dire situation. Of course, running to keep safe is the next reasonable course of action. You did all you could."

"I don't know, sir," Aqua mumbles. "Terra, he's way braver. He never has to think about being scared – he just does things. I'm not like him."

The last bit is muffled by her knees as she draws them closer to herself. Master Eraqus chuckles at her statement.

"No, you are not, and I did not choose you base off how close you need to resemble to him. Moreover, I am pretty sure there are plenty of things Terra fears."

Master Eraqus puts a hand on her shoulder.

"What I'm particularly interested in is that window of time when you leaped into action. That initial thought – knowing fear is only inches away but striding towards it in a dignified pace. Is that not bravery?"

Aqua peeks up to look at Master Eraqus' kind face.

"Never forget - I chose you, and I'm glad I did."

"Thank you, sir," Aqua manages to say before flushing red. "I – thank you…"

"It's a nice night," Master Eraqus continues, nodding at the sky. "Such shame that Terra isn't joining us. I suspect there are reasons but seeing as this test is just a few days away, both of you may want to resolve it as quickly as possible."

Aqua gives an awkward noncommittal hum.

It's been long and terrible, this silence, but to make up with Terra is so unappealing she banishes the thought as soon as it comes. After all, it will be admitting that she's wrong and there just isn't a possibility that could be true.

The night training leaves her drowsy. She leans in a little closer to Master Eraqus.

Maybe tomorrow, maybe then she'll feel a little different.

* * *

She doesn't. Not then, or the day after, or the day after that one.

Then the day of the test is upon them, and still there are no words. They only stand a few feet apart as the Master distributes them their potions and gear in the middle of the grassy plains on the mountain path.

Aqua gulps as she straps on the protective pads, peeking at Terra from the corner of her eyes. She couldn't read him; his back is turn towards her as he preps himself up while the Master once again explains the rules.

"Only one hit is enough. The test end only if either that happens, time has run out, or if you can't fight anymore. Anything can be and should be used at your disposable. But…" The Master has a bemused look. "I think you already know that."

Both students nod at this. It's another balmy day, but somehow the air feels different to Aqua.

"Let's begin."

The Master barely takes a step before Terra bounds forward from her side. He leaps high in the air before swinging down his sword. A loud crack resounds, but if Master Eraqus is surprised by the attack he doesn't show it; in fact, he doesn't even stagger. A second into blocking Terra's assault, Master Eraqus pushes back, causing Terra to wobble as he lands on his feet. As quickly as the battle had started, Master Eraqus begins slicing violently against the protective vest that shields Terra, who can do little but brace the barrage.

"Herk!" Terra gasps.

Aqua could see the indents it leaves on the gear, and she winces at the points of impact.

"I've told you," the Master says while slashing Terra away harshly, "you're much too transparent when you come at me. Too vulnerable with your guard. That won't do."

He then uses the point of his sword to pierce, grazing Terra's check. Aqua stiffens at the sight of blood that trails down.

Terra begins circling Master Eraqus, and it's hard to know whether he is paying any attention to the words that are being spoken. Terra's face is portraying a level of alertness she's never seen before – eyebrows creased, eyes wide – it's almost alarming how shaken he looks. First at his cheek, then at the Master's posture, which is widely different from his more relaxed guard when they train.

Terra leaps high again, but this time Master Eraqus catches him by the ankle. The Master drags the boy down, and Terra's back smacks the ground resoundingly, before heaving up a little from the aftershock.

Aqua swears she could hear his breath being suck out.

"Terra…" It comes out in a whisper – the rest is caught in her throat.

Terra gives a weak groan. He starts to get up, but the fall has left him dizzy and shaken. He slumps to the ground and doesn't move after that.

The Master steps over his body.

Aqua's eyes flicker upwards, and she freezes at the sight of Master Eraqus' face. Completely blank and neutral, even with his sword raised at her.

"Terra," she tries once more. He doesn't stir.

The Master changes his stance, and Aqua reacts on instinct. She cartwheels away just has he launches at her with a sliding dash. She feels the gust of wind as she lands on her feet and knows he'll be at her within the next second. They do a peculiar dance; he races forwards, she doubles back. Each time the wooden blade gets closer, she's barely just getting away. With one ill-timed cartwheel she flinches when a sharp cut nicks her cheek as she ducks.

"…And I've told you, that in order to have a battle, both sides need to be fighting."

Aqua feels the rise of her chest as she starts to pant. To evade the Master any longer would waste her stamina, but without a proper plan she has no idea how to fight him. She casts her eyes back on Terra's fallen form, desperately wishing he was still fighting alongside her. She dodges attack after attack until she ends up next to him. With her free hand, she grips a potion hidden in her left pouch.

The sword in her other hand feels clammy. She just needs a little more time to think things through…

The Master charges at her. She bends low, dropping the uncapped flask while dodge rolling and scooping up dry dirt. When he comes around again, she's ready; Aqua throws the small bits of small and gravel at his approaching form.

Apparently, Master Eraqus did not expect this. His reaction is a little too late, and some of it gets in his eye. He leaps back, wary of her advantage to strike him when he's temporary blind.

Aqua takes the bait. She leaps with her sword raised, only for it to be batted away.

"What?" she cries.

"I suppose I never did tell you of my own experiences fighting blind folded," Master Eraqus says, blinking the tears that flushes the dirt from his eyes. "But my Master was a bit eccentric with my training."

Her feet drag at the ground as she runs to pick up her sword. Evidently, he hears her and moves in kind. His swipe hits her arm, making Aqua cry out in pain. His eyes are still watery and closed, but he closes in on her with amazing accuracy.

She edges backwards before breaking out to a full sprint towards the woods. His presence drops, but Aqua feels him close behind. They leave Terra on mountain path as she tears through the entrance of trees and bushes. Aqua zig zags across the thicket, diving past branches until she's sure she's alone. After a moment's breath, she calms down; this is their territory – hers and Terra's, and it does very well to leverage the battle. Terra's voice makes it way to her ear as she recalls:

"The Master likes wide spaces. When we spar, he's almost always rushing straight and using the distance to flash step."

Hopefully this confined space will limit Master Eraqus' movements. She can only hope to buy more time, so Terra can join her later and even the odds. She pulls her canteen out and gulps greedily, taking note of how tired and sore she feels. With already one flask of potion used, she resists the urge to uncork another one.

Aqua wipes her brow and trots off again, eager to put more distance between her and Master Eraqus. The woods are familiar, but each tree and rock obscures her vision as much as it might for the Master. She briefly considers climbing a tree, but she doesn't know how, and besides it was always Terra that was brave enough to shimmy up whenever they had to navigate back home. Without that option she begins to get paranoid at every step she takes, half expecting to run into the Master.

Aqua begins to sprint again when suddenly she trips and falls face first on the ground. Something fastens and burns her ankle, causing her to yelp. Aqua tries to jerk free, but the moment she tugs the tighter it cinches. She hears the shrill ringing of a bell.

A bell! She struggles for a bit when flipping over, all the while the ringing continues. Attach to her leg is a nasty noose that's already digging into the skin of her ankle. The rope blends with the brown of the tree trunk where it scales up to a sturdy fork of branches. There is the bell, and to her dismay, what looks like rocks already teetering on the edge.

One of Terra's snares. Of course, how could she forget? All that preparation, the planning, and having the Master bring them these very supplies from Radiant Garden! She cuts fiercely at the rope with her sword only to find the wood is too dull and the rope is too thick.

She feels the panic sink in. In order to free herself, she would have to tug the rope again to stretch it for a clean cut. She braces herself and yanks the snare before using her other free hand to shield her head. Sure enough, the bell chimes loudly before the rocks rain down on her. She feels a horrible split on her hand and the gashes on her legs as they slice her. Disorientated from the pain, it is no easier a task freeing herself in this state.

Aqua freezes when she hears a rustle from the bushes. It gets louder until Terra pops into view, battered and bruised with leaves caught in his hair.

He looks at her with a mixture of shock and relief before rushing over and hacking the rope swiftly with his whittling knife.

"Hey, get up! Get up!"

His voice rings frantically in her ear. In another second, a strong pair of hand hoists her up, half dragging her along until she hears moving water. She shakes her head to clear out the fogginess before stumbling in place.

"Come on," Terra says, reaching for her hand. "We got to go quickly before the Master catches up!"

Terra leads them through the gap of the waterfall to the cave he had shown her before. It's small and damp. He helps her sit and uncorks a potion. The mist washes over her. Instantly, the cloudiness clears from her mind while the cuts mend.

"Thanks," she says quietly.

Terra shakes his head. "It's my fault. I didn't tell you about the traps. I should have. They weren't meant to hurt you. If the Master got caught, it'll probably slow him down at best."

For the first time in what seems like forever, they look at each other fully. Both of them are worse for wear, and it has only been half an hour since the test began.

"I got here as fast as I could," Terra confesses. "I couldn't move before, but I wasn't knocked out either. It was faint…but I heard your voice. You left it there for me – the potion."

Aqua nods dumbly at this. She's just so relieved to see him and to know she isn't alone in this anymore.

"I saw the both of you run into the forest when I was getting up. By the time I got here, I couldn't tell where you went, but that's when I heard bells from two different directions. It was either you or the Master when I turned right…and I'm glad it's you."

"I'm glad it was you too," she chuckles weakly.

There are no apologies exchanged, but the air is lighter. Terra shuffles a bit with his back pocket before producing a cheese bread roll and some crackers wrapped in cloth from this morning's breakfast. He splits them with her, and for this small moment it feels as if it were any other day with just the two of them. Once they dust off the crumbs Terra speaks.

"We need a plan."

"We do," Aqua agrees. "But we haven't been practicing with each other. We won't be in sync if we attack together…"

"Yeah." Terra rubs his neck. "It's a bit too late for that, even the Master knows."

They become silent once more. Aqua shudders, thinking about how quickly the Master had paralyzed Terra before. If he wanted to, he could probably render them unconscious until time ran out…perhaps that is even his main objective. He knows their move sets thoroughly, and like Terra has mentioned, the fact that they haven't even practiced together as a team.

Aqua blinks at this. "Wait."

"What?"

"The Master doesn't know that we're together right now, does he?"

"I don't think so," Terra confirms, shaking his head.

"Then we have the element of surprise. He's still coming for me, but he doesn't know where you are," she reasons. "I think…I think we can work with this."

Terra leans in curiously, and now a plan is starting to take shape.

* * *

It takes her a while to find Master Eraqus again. The sun is getting dangerously close to the mountain tops. For a moment she's convinced that he's gone back to mountain's path to wait them out, but then she hears another one of Terra's traps triggering, and so she follows the sound until she sees his tall figure. He's alert and no longer blind; he has washed the dirt from his eyes from a nearby stream. At the sight of her, the Master raises his wooden sword, almost as if they had never been interrupted.

She has four potions on her. Terra insists on giving her his before he departed to meet her at their agreed rendezvous point. She only hopes he's well hidden.

"There were quite a few traps. Some more harmful than the last," he sighs. Then he states plainly, "Time is running out. Have you finally decided to fight?"

Aqua doesn't trust herself to speak. Alone once again with the Master, when he looks so positively detached is enough to make her hands clammy. Then he rushes at her, and she has to dive behind a tree.

She takes a few swipes as he rounds at her again, before leaping out of the way. True to their theory, Master Eraqus slows with the confinement of the woods. It's much easier to evade him, but she's having a hard time landing a hit.

"You'll have to try better than this," he chides.

She weaves past a boulder and feels him in pursuit. Now that she knows where the snares are, she's careful with the placement of her feet as she runs past them. The Master, taking her cue does the same until she reaches the base of a familiar tree with ivy wrap around the trunk. The etching of 'T & A' meet her eye level, and she knows this is the right place.

"Nowhere to run anymore," Master Eraqus says, gesturing at the enclosed space.

"I'm not going to," Aqua answers.

The Master raises an eyebrow at this. The coolness of her statement does not deter him from readying to his familiar flash step posture. However, instead of cartwheeling away, Aqua holds her ground to deflect this time. She has to be careful about their positions without giving anything away.

She blocks the dash of his sword, but the strength behind his attack still pushes her back, and she knocks into the tree with the bark leaving splitters on her fingers as she supports herself. Aqua scrambles to circle the Master before he can corner her. She answers back with a series of raids, but the Master is equally sure-footed now that the grounds are relatively flat and clear. With the flat of his blade, he knocks her squarely on her torso.

Aqua slows, and then she's met with another three hits, all stunning her. The pain shoots up and leaves her breathless. She hastily distances herself to use a potion.

"That makes two," Master Eraqus notes. "Unless you can finish this up quickly, I'm afraid your last potion might not be much use to you."

Aqua straightens. Where he stands now is perfect, with his back to the tree. She rushes forward with her sword.

"Too transparent," he tuts. He raises his blade to block her strike, but that's when Aqua yells.

"Terra!" she cries out.

The Master flinches, eyes wide. He steps back from her reach, snapping up to look at the branches up top. A rustle startles him.

From behind, the ivy of the large tree parts. From its hollow trunk, Terra emerges in full leap with his sword high in the air just as Aqua slides up with her attack from below. Two blitzes from different directions, effectively trapping their Master.

Aqua feels with certainty before it happens. Without a doubt, she senses Terra feeling the same at that exact moment when time seems to slow.

They strike true, and both hits land with a satisfying whack! as it brings Master Eraqus to his knees. Terra lands on his feet just as Aqua raises up.

They stare, breathless at each other before registering what had happened.

"We did it," Aqua breathes out.

"We won," Terra utters with equal disbelief.

Master Eraqus gets up, dusting himself. She sees the corners of his mouth curve to that old, warm smile.

"Yes," he says, turning to them both. His eyes are twinkling again. "That was an excellent display of teamwork. Both of you…both of you exceeded my expectation."

There is a hush as they drink this comment in.

"So…" Terra says tentatively, eyes shining.

"That means…we–" Aqua can hardly get the words out. Luckily, the Master understood.

"The both of you," he announces, genuinely proud, "have passed this test."

* * *

The joy of having passed this trial follows them all the way back to the castle, and by then twilight sets in. Terra won't stop recalling the moment of victory, and in all honesty, neither would Aqua. Master Eraqus does not reprimand them for basking in their triumph, as unhumble as they are and for that Aqua is grateful. The Master praises Terra for his covert attack and Aqua's initiative in equal measure.

After dinner, a surprise is wheels itself in the dining room for them. Or more specifically, for Aqua.

A pink mousse cake lays on top of the cart, its faint aroma reminding her of Radiant Garden.

"Wow, thank you Master," she says with a grin. "But what if we didn't pass?"

Terra snickers.

"Well," the Master answers, "I still would have served it anyway."

Aqua tilts her head, not understanding. For her side, she hears Terra muffling his laughter.

"What?" she asks, frowning at him. "Is it really a stupid question?"

"No, I'm not–" He straightens, smirk not leaving him. "I'm not saying it is. It's just…how can you forget–"

"Aqua," the Master interrupts gently, before Terra can have another word. "Why don't you have a closer look?"

He lifts the cake over to the table, close enough now that she can peer over it. The frosting on top spells out 'Happy Birthday Aqua' in fancy lettering. Right next to the cake are thirteen candle sticks.

Oh.

She looks up to find Terra and Master Eraqus smiling. Perhaps, not at her expense, but she still feels the onslaught of embarrassment. How can she forget? She's marked the calendar hanging in her room enough times to know today's date, and yet it slipped her completely.

Master Eraqus lights the candles. They shimmer over the evening twilight. She couldn't really think of anything to wish for when they ask for to blow out the flames, but she does it all the same, all the while thinking how incredible it was, it being her birthday–

The first slice goes to her. She takes a bite and is immediately filled with a wave of nostalgia.

The taste of peaches burst across her tongue.

* * *

Aqua stretches out her hands. A sleek pair of fingerless gloves wraps smugly around them, warming her palms even as she uncurls them – a perfect fit.

A gift from the Master.

It was not lost to him how hard she's training. But even so, Aqua suspects he wants to preserve her hands out of care, and she appreciates the sentiment with a blush. She tried them on right away, and still hasn't taken them off since.

A knock comes from outside her bedroom door. She swings it open to find Terra on the other side.

"Want to see the stars tonight?"

She smiles. "Sure."

Aqua has a pretty good feeling where they were heading. They stop by the meadow near his garden, and from there Terra bends over to scoop his present within the hollow of a tree.

"You knew about this, didn't you?" he asks, a little accusatory. Exasperated but not at all angry. "You got the idea of being hiding in the hollow stump from this."

"Yeah," she admits. "Sorry."

Terra waves her apology away.

"You helped us win because of it," he says. Then, dropping his tone he continues more seriously, "And...not only that. You really were amazing. I mean, I saw you fight. I should have – we should have worked together from the start. I…"

Terra bites his lips.

She waits patiently for him to finish, but nothing else is forthcoming. Instead, he hands her the wrapped gift.

"Thanks for not opening it, even when you knew where it was."

She smirks.

"Thanks for trying to keep it a surprise."

Aqua tears it open carefully. A wood like texture greets her, confirming it's the small project Terra's been working on. It's an interesting shape. She unravels more of it, the paper wrapping finally giving away to reveal a small figure.

It's a deer.

Aqua blinks.

Well, it's a small figure of a deer. It's small and precious, style very simplistically. On top, riding it is a small figure of a girl with blue hair. It takes her back several sunlit days.

Aqua feels Terra studying her face, determining whether or not this gift really pleases her.

She feels warm and slightly feverish with energy. Her face flushes with happiness. Whatever Terra sees in her makes his own eyes widen, and he turns away sheepishly with a small smile.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The stars twinkle above them.

"Happy Birthday Aqua," he says quietly.

And it really feels like it.


End file.
